Wednesday November 27, 2024
Volume 39 No. 44
$2 inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly Thunderstorms predicted all week Pg 2
Council’s favourable four year report Pg 4
Innovative tourism ideas put forward at meeting Pg 6
Inequitable education funding discussed Local teachers, parents and interested and State] must meet their funding effort, it is Standard (SRS) by including costs not directly members of the public were briefed last the Federal Government that must accept a related to the learning needs of students such week about the lack of public school funding larger responsibility, owing to their greater as capital depreciation and regulatory costs for forthcoming from the Federal Government. capacity to raise revenue and their historic and NSW Public Schools. The NSW Federation of Parents and Citizens shameful prioritisation of spending on private “In 2023, this loophole equated to $640 mil(P&C) Association and NSW Teachers Federa- schools,” he said. lion being included in the state’s overall SRS tion are working with parents, carers, teachers, Mr Rajendra called for the Federal Govern- share thereby depriving the system of $640 principals, school support personnel and com- ment to remove a loophole that allowed the million in additional funding directly linked to munity members to get politicians to deliver artificial inflation of the NSW Government student learning,’ Mr Rajendra said. full funding for public schools. funding share of the Schooling Resource Continued Page 2. P&C groups around the state heard from NSW Teachers Federation president, Henry Rajendra and P&C of NSW president Yvonne Hilsz in organised meetings last week. Mr Rajendra said NSW public schools have suffered a funding shortfall of $1.9 billion in the past year. “Over the next four years, the Federal Government will provide $24.2 billion to the state’s 970 private schools, but only $14.3 billion to the 2,216 public schools,” Mr Rajendra told the meeting. “Indeed, some NSW private schools will continue to receive over $6,000 more per student each year in government funding than public schools.” He said the $1.9 billion shortfall could have increased the number of teachers across the state by 20 per cent. “Just imagine a 20 per cent lift in the number of teachers that could have delivered smaller class sizes and broader curriculum, offering more one to one time for students with complex needs, and more time for teachers to plan and collaborate with each other. “Indeed, it is a testament to you all that despite the funding shortfall, we continue to Parents, teachers and community members attended a meeting at the Cobar Bowling & achieve great outcomes for our students,” Mr Golf Club last week to hear an address from the president of the NSW Teachers Federation Henry Rajendra and president of the P&C NSW Yvonne Hilsz regarding Rajendra said. “While both levels of government [Federal prioritizing public education spending.