The Senate has called on Federal Education Minister to explain which South Australian schools are set to suffer as a result of the 2018 Gonski funding cliff, following an Australian Greens motion passing this afternoon.

“Schools across South Australia set to lose out on $335 million in funding as the Government carelessly heads toward the Gonski funding cliff next year. Education Minister Simon Birmingham needs to face up to the fact that schools in his state will face losing teachers and programs,” Australian Greens education spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said.

While it is welcome to see some honesty around the over-funding of some of the wealthiest private schools, we need real action to put fairness into schools funding, The Australian Greens say.

“It’s high time this Government talked seriously about cutting funds to grossly over-funded private schools only the richest of the rich can send their children to, but part of that conversation needs to seriously focus on a fair funding model for all Australian schools,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Prime Minister’s proposal to make childcare more affordable while cutting the family tax benefit is an attack on families already struggling, the Australian Greens say.

“Malcolm Turnbull is trying to blackmail the Senate; holding families struggling to pay for childcare at ransom, while giving a hand out to big business and the big banks,” Greens education and finance spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Liberal Government’s plan to test Year One students is merely a distraction from their unwillingness to adequately fund and resource early childhood education and schools, the Australian Greens say.

Senators David Leyonhjelm and Pauline Hanson have shown that they’re not up to taking part in a constructive discussion around reforming Australia’s childcare sector with ill-informed comments equating early childhood education with ‘wiping noses’, the Australian Greens have said.

“Senator Leyonhjelm clearly has no understanding of the early childhood education sector or the needs of Australian parents,” the Greens’ education spokesperson, Senator Hanson-Young said.

Australian Greens Finance and Youth spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has slammed the Turnbull government for its inaction in bridging the generation gap in today’s MYEFO.
 
“The Turnbull government has done nothing today to tackle looming generational inequality,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
 
"With budget cuts to services and little to tackle slow wage growth or housing affordability, young Australians remain the big losers under this Government. 
 

The Australian Greens have expressed fears for the future of public education after it was revealed today many Adelaide high schools are struggling to pay the bills.

“If South Australian high schools have to cut courses and teaching staff to keep their buildings up to scratch, something is very wrong with the way schools are funded. What is happening in Adelaide is telling of the scarcity of funding across the board for Australian schools,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Senate has given recognition to the importance of the Australian arts industry and community by supporting greater representation to artistic and creative courses on the VET student loans eligible course list following an amendment to the VET Student Loans Bill moved by the Australian Greens.

Targeting university students and increasing their debt is not the answer to the long term sustainability of Australia’s higher education sector, the Australian Greens have said in response to a Grattan Institute report.

“The Turnbull government want to take an axe to higher education funding and they shouldn’t look to increasing student debt to make up any shortfall,” the Greens’ education spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Labor’s refusal to reduce the amount  of money going to overfunded private schools and reinvest it into the public schools that need it most is putting true needs based funding at risk, the Australian Greens have said.

“Labor’s obsession with defending the fistfuls of cash going to private schools is threatening to derail any chance we have at achieving genuine needs based funding for all Australian students,” the Greens’ education spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.