If we are to prepare Australia for all the challenges of the 21st century, we need to invest now in a smart and fair school system, to give our kids the best start in life.
We should be able to ensure that every child can have a good education, no matter where they live or what their circumstances.
We can achieve this, but we need to have a more fair and equitable school funding system to do so.
Australia has had a proud record on education and for many years we were up there with the best. But, over the last decade in particular, our performance has seriously slipped. Student levels of achievement have declined across the board.
Australian public schools and their committed teachers are doing their best to deliver a good education to their students and there are many stand-out schools with wonderful records; but the stark reality is they are doing so in increasingly strained circumstances and we must acknowledge this.
We need to overcome the chronic underfunding of our public school system, and give every Australian child the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
The Gonski review gives us a way forward to achieving this.
The Australian Greens are ready to work with the government to legislate and implement the Gonski principles this year.
There must be no more delay. We need to get on with Gonski.
