The Australian Education Reporter
Funding boost for NSW schools
MORE than 2000 public schools across NSW will receive a share of $1.09 billion in 2018 to fund educational resources and student support, including additional speech pathologists, targeted literacy and numeracy programs, and teacher training.
The funding – an $80 million or 8 per cent increase on 2017 levels – will be delivered under the NSW Government’s Resource Allocation Model (RAM), which assigns funds to schools based on student need.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said needs-based funding was making a “real difference to the outcomes of students at a local level”.
“This funding allows schools to develop programs that address academic and well-being needs identified in their schools,” Ms Berejiklian said.
High schools with significantly increased funding for 2018 included Ballina Coast High School which will receive $1.46 million, and Lurnea High School, which will receive $2.25 million.
Primary schools that will also receive big increases included Oran Park Public School ($840,000), Smithfield Public School ($1.33 million), and Muswellbrook South Public School ($1.87 million).
NSW Teachers Federation president Maurie Mulheron said the State Government’s $80 million spending increase would have been dwarfed by the
“This funding allows schools to develop programs that address academic and well-being needs identified in their schools.”
National Education Reform Agreement (NERA) – the original ‘Gonski’ agreement – figure of $218 million in 2018 and $419 million in 2019.
“This highlights the savage cuts to schools resulting from the Turnbull Government’s decision to abandon the NERA agreement that had been signed with the NSW government,” Mr Mulheron said.
NSW Education minister Rob Stokes said the 2018 needs-based funding increase was additional to funding announced in September under the Schools Leadership Strategy to enable employment of extra support staff so principals could focus on educational leadership.
“The combination of funding increases and changes will enable schools to sharpen their focus on catering for the specific academic and wellbeing needs of their individual students,” Mr Stokes said.