Govt delays school funding overhaul

Even the Liberals have dumped on the federal government for choosing to retain a
"flawed" schools funding scheme first installed by John Howard.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard confirmed on Wednesday the government will delay
scrapping the funding system for public and private schools for at least another
year, or until 2014.
This is despite having promised to address it in time for 2013, when the Howard
government's controversial socio-economic status (SES) model was due to run out.
Education Minister Simon Crean defended the move as providing "certainty" for the
independent sector.
But public school teachers say it means yet another year of a system that has failed
their students, by dispensing the majority of taxpayers' cash to private schools.
"(It) delivers only one-third of federal funding to public schools, which teach
two-thirds of students," the Australian Education Union's Angelo Gavrielatos said.
"It is a funding system that is biased against public schools and blind to the real
needs of students, families and teachers."
He said he was bitterly disappointed at the move, particularly given the
government's earlier acknowledgments that the system must be changed.
A Sydney University study released late last month said the current funding
arrangement will cause the divide between public and private schools to widen if
it's retained.
Mr Gavrielatos accused the government of caving in to pressure from private and
Catholic schools, which on Wednesday were roundly applauding the move.
Independent Schools Victoria expressed relief, saying it was reassuring to know
capital funding would remain in place for a while longer.
The Liberals, who want to continue the scheme if elected to government later this
month, also criticised the government for executing a "desperate election fix".
Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne suggested the government had also
left open a $1 billion shortfall by not committing to indexation arrangements for
the life of the scheme.
He called on Ms Gillard to promise that no school would left worse off.
The Liberals have guaranteed the scheme will continue under a coalition government,
including indexation.
Mr Crean, forced to deny Labor had broken a promise to change the funding system,
said Labor's record on school spending stood up to scrutiny.
The delay was about providing "certainty" for those independent schools.
"It's saying to them that we will continue their funding now ... knowing that we've
got a major review reporting to us next year and which we can sit down and plan," he
said.
He denied any comparisons with the government's decision to delay emissions trading
until at least 2013 - a scheme also pushed back until after the federal election.
"We've doubled education spending over the last three years.
"That's hardly leaving things for another day."