10 March 2016

Schools across Gippsland have been dealt a savage blow, with the damage bill for Malcolm Turnbull’s statewide school cuts totalling a massive $1.1 billion across Victoria and targeting the very students who need the most support.

Despite the Andrews Labor Government’s record investment in funding for schools across Gippsland, the extent of Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts is a warning to every school in the region that relies on hardworking teachers and support staff to help students around the region to achieve their potential.

This $1.1 billion could have funded more than 8,000 teachers, or more than 10,000 allied health staff like psychologists, speech pathologists, welfare workers and physiotherapists.

Instead, the Turnbull Government’s funding for years 5 and 6 of the Gonski Agreement will be cut completely, leaving the average government school across Victoria about $500,000 worse off.

Under the cuts, schools in Gippsland will lose up to $45 million every year from 2019. All Gippsland schools will lose at least $100,000, with secondary schools destined to lose at least $1 million.

Quotes attributable to Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria: 

“Malcolm Turnbull has walked away from the funding that Gippsland schools are relying on to pay for things like extra support teachers in the classroom and special reading programs to help kids to reach their potential”. 

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing in Victoria’s disadvantaged schools, has met all its obligations under the Gonski Agreement and, in 2015, delivered the biggest education budget in Victoria’s history. But there’s only so much Victoria can do without Canberra’s support.”

“Malcolm Turnbull’s so-called Ideas Boom will go completely bust if he keeps cutting funds from Gippsland’s schools, and jeopardising our kids’ futures.”

“Gippsland children and their families will be enormously disadvantaged by these drastic and unnecessary cuts in federal education funding.”