Federal investment helps public schools

AUSTRALIA – The Australian Education Union (AEU) recently launched a new national campaign calling for a greater federal investment in public schools to help them meet the needs of every child.

The ‘Public Schools For Our Future’ campaign, which will include extensive television and newspaper advertising, coincides with the Federal Government’s review of the funding of schools.

AEU Federal President, Angelo Gavrielatos, said principals, teachers and parents will be working together to ensure the review received submissions from as many people as possible.

“We need a better federal funding system that meets the needs of all our children - now and in the future. Public schools receive only one third of the money the Federal Government spends on schools even though they teach two thirds of the students,” Says Gavrielatos.

At the launch the union released the results of a survey of over 11,000 public school principals and teachers, which showed:

- Teachers overwhelmingly believe the best way to lift student outcomes is to cut class sizes and increase the individual attention every child receives.

- The under-funding of public schools has led to higher teacher and principal workloads and a reliance on fundraising by parents to ensure students receive a high quality education.

- Principals say fundraising is being used to provide much-needed classroom equipment, library resources/textbooks and computers.

Mr Gavrielatos said federal funding for public schools needed to be increased. “Now, more than ever, every child needs a high quality education and hence it is so important we invest more in our public schools.”

“Our public schools are achieving great outcomes. But those outcomes are being achieved through higher teacher workloads and an increasing reliance on fundraising by parents.