CHESTER WELCOMES NATIONAL SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN
December 3, 2013
The Federal Government’s national plan to provide a fairer funding arrangement for schools and restore $1.2 billion in cuts made by Labor has been welcomed by The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
Mr Chester said Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week announced that a national agreement on school funding had been secured.
He said the Federal Coalition Government was committed to cleaning up the school funding mess left by the previous Labor Government.
“Labor’s funding model wasn’t national and it wasn’t fair – we are providing every school with the funding certainty they need,” Mr Chester said.
“A fair, national and needs based approach will ensure that students and schools are better supported.
“We’re committed to getting on with the job of improving education in rural, regional and disadvantaged areas.”
In a statement Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Coalition Government was keeping its commitments on school funding and delivering more funding over the next four years than promised by Labor.
“We will restore the $1.2 billion funding cut by Labor – bringing total additional school funding over the next four years to $2.8 billion,” the Prime Minister said.
“We will also honour funding promised to non-government representative bodies for four years including $55 million to Catholic Education Commissions and $110 million to the Association of Independent Schools.”