SCHOOL communities and State MPs remain united in their fight against the Turnbull Government’s education cuts that will see Myall Coast schools lose more than $1 million in funding in 2018 and 2019.

Myall Lakes MP Stephen Bromhead, said the cuts to needs-based funding will impact on children in the region who have the greatest needs.

“NSW was the first state to sign up to Gonski and embrace needs-based funding, and we want the full amount as per the agreement that we signed with the Federal Government,” Mr Bromhead said.

Figures from the NSW Teachers Federation show funding for Bulahdelah Central School will be cut by $567,713, Karuah Public will lose $252,028 and Tea Gardens Public, $270,620, over the next two years.

Local schools had planned to use the funding for many targeted initiatives including employing additional teachers to run one-on-one literacy and numeracy intervention programs.

“All this now has to be put on hold which is really disappointing because we are currently just touching the tip of the iceberg with our programs,” Bulahdelah Principal Mr Don Hudson stated in the school newsletter.

“There is no doubt that with the original funds promised under the Gonski funding agreement we could have made a huge difference,” he said.

Although the figures show an increase in funding of more than $240,000 across the three local schools over the next two years, the funds fall way short of the original Gonski promise.

The Federation simply want the Turnbull Government to honour the full six years of the Gonski funding agreement.

“The NSW Government shares the same stance with the Teacher’s Federation,” Mr Bromhead said.

“The good news is that we have got more money, we have to acknowledge that, it’s just that now we would like the full funding.”

The NSW Teachers Federation figures show that students in all but 10 NSW public schools will lose out under the Turnbull Government’s plan.

 

By Daniel SAHYOUN