2 December 2013

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor says that Government, Catholic and Independent schools throughout Hume will have the funding certainty they need as a result of the Coalition Government announcing today it will invest an additional $2.8 billion over the next four years in schools.

“Labor left school funding in a mess,” said Mr Taylor. “Their funding model was not national and it was not fair. In his last act as Education Minister, Bill Shorten ripped $1.2 billion from schools’ funding.

“The Coalition Government is providing every school with the funding certainty they need. We are delivering on our election commitments and delivering more funding than Labor committed.

“We will honour the funding deals reached with the States over a four year period as promised and work with Victoria and Tasmania to finalise bilateral agreements so funding can flow.

“For smaller schools in my electorate and across rural and regional Australia, the Government is well aware of the fixed costs that come with running a small school despite fewer student numbers,” Mr Taylor said.

“Over the next four years we will focus on what really matters in education:  improving the quality of teaching and ensuring that parents and principals have a greater say in how our local schools are run.”

Mr Taylor said the Government 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.