Defence of Tassie schools funding

FEDERAL Education Minister Simon Birmingham has denied claims Tasmanian children will be worse off than their interstate peers thanks to the 2017-18 Federal Budget.

In the Mercury yesterday, Labor senator Helen Polley said Tasmanian schools would lose $85 million over the next two years compared with what Labor had pledged in government in 2013.

“Of this, $65 million will be ripped from our public schools,” Senator Polley said.

Mr Birmingham said Tasmania would receive the highest rate of funding per student Primary Industries, Water, Parks and Environment said field officers had not gleaned any new information on the culprit or culprits.

The Shooters and Fishers Party has added its voice to the chorus of condemnation.

“Hunters and shooters of any state over the next decade under Gonski 2.0 reforms.

He said needs-based system would result in the average funding per student rising from a record $5083 in 2017 to $7625 over the next decade.

“All school sectors in Tasmania — government, Cath- olic and independent — are set to benefit from the $75 million needs-based funding increase to the state over the next four years and $186 million over the next decade,” he said.

For example, Glenorchy primary funding per student increases from $3422 in 2018 to $4769 in 2017.

Senator Birmingham said early childhood education would also benefit.

“Our reforms to early childhood education and care increase the subsidy from 72 per cent to 85 per cent for families earning less than around $65,000 a year and our hourly rate cap will put downward pressure on fees,” he said.

“A working family on $50,000 with two kids in care will be $3295 better off a year under our reforms and a working family on $94,000 in the same situation will be $1771 better off.“

Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council spokesman Greg Boon said Gonski 2.0 provided security about future funding.

A schools funding estimator released by Senator Birmingham shows funding per student varying in 2018 between $2350 per student at Waimea Heights Primary School in Sandy Bay to $26,587 at Cape Barren Island School.

Simon Birmingham