Gonski Campaign
National unity on Gonski a must
students are in schools where principals say the teaching of reading and maths is affected by resource shortages. The number rises to two thirds of primary
By Angelo Gavrielatos Federal President, Australian Education Union students in science.
B
etween now and April our political leaders are expected to decide the future funding of every school in the nation. Their decisions will affect the education of millions of children in schools and many more that are not there yet. They will also have far-reaching implications for principals, teachers and support staff.
“Australia will only slip further behind unless, as a nation, we act and act now.”
Acting on the recommendations of the Gonski Review would, for the first time, see schools funded according to what they are expected to achieve and the needs of the students they enrol.
“The need for the additional expenditure and the application of what those funds can do is urgent,” the final report of the Review said. “Australia will only slip further behind unless, as a nation, we act and act now.”
It would mean a substantial boost in resources for public schools which Gonski recommended should get at least 75 per cent of the additional money. Although the amount would vary according to current funding levels and student need, the average increase would be $1,500 per student per year. That is enough to pay for seven additional teachers in a school with 500 students. We are urging State and Federal Governments to deliver the additional funding recommended by Gonski in full and to allocate it to areas we know will improve student outcomes: smaller class sizes, additional specialist teachers, more help in the classroom for students with disabilities and special needs, more time for professional development in schools and better mentoring and support for young teachers. The need to act on school funding is urgent. As the Gonski Review warned, Australia’s performance in education is slipping and the gaps between what stu-
dents from different social and economic backgrounds achieve are widening.
The extent of the problem was confirmed by the latest international test results, released in December last year. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011 results show that our results have flat-lined since the first science and maths tests were held in 1995. It was the first time we have participated in the reading test and in year 4 reading Australia was outperformed by 21 countries. These worrying results were only slightly offset by the much higher achievement levels of Year 8 students. The results also exposed the extent of our equity problem. The gap between our highest and lowest achievers in Year 4 maths and science was the fifth widest among all the developed nations that make up the OECD. Of equal concern was the level of under-resourcing of schools and the strong connection between resources and results. More than half our primary
The tests show students in schools where there were no resource shortages scored significantly higher in reading and maths than those in schools that were affected. These results reflect what teachers in many schools have been saying for far too many years – we cannot significantly improve student outcomes in an environment where basic resources are absent. Shortages of teachers, overcrowded classes, a lack of time for cooperative professional development, sub-standard teaching resources and facilities – all these things must be addressed to ensure that every child has the opportunity to get a high quality education. To her credit, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard in September last year accepted the Gonski Review’s findings of the need for a fundamental overhaul of the way schools are funded and a major increase in investment in education and public schools. What is now required within the next few months is a national agreement with all state and territory governments on how the new funding arrangements will work and what each government will contribute. That timetable must be met to allow a new system to begin on time in January next year. Our political leaders will never have a better opportunity to bring about the fundamental change that is required. It is a defining test of both their leadership and their commitment to each individual student and the nation as a whole. It is not a question of whether we can afford to act on school funding it is a question of whether we can afford not to. Please help convince the politicians to act by registering your support at:
www.igiveagonski.com.au
You can also send a direct message to the state premier from the site telling them to get on with it. n 7