FED:Unions welcome school funding comments

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2011
FED:Unions welcome school funding comments

CANBERRA, April 27 AAP - The Australian Education Union has welcomed news the federal
government is moving closer to overhauling how schools are funded.

Schools Education Minister Peter Garrett has told News Ltd the current schools funding
model is in "urgent need of root-and-branch reform".

Private schools are now funded under a controversial model based on the socioeconomic
status of school students.

The funding arrangements, introduced by the Howard government, have been criticised
for giving too much money to private schools and not enough to their public counterparts.

Union boss Angelo Gavrielatos is delighted the minister has flagged an overhaul of the sector.

"The current funding system is so broken," Mr Gavrielatos told AAP on Wednesday.

"The opportunity is now there for Labor."

The Independent Education Union, which represents teachers at non-government schools,
is also heartened by Mr Garrett's comments on the issue.

"Federal education minister Garrett's comments clearly indicate that the current funding
arrangements are inadequate for non-government schools," federal secretary Chris Watt
said in a statement.

AAP pv/sb/apm

KEYWORD: SCHOOLS FUNDING

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