Everyone in Australia has the right to a world-class education – from start to finish.
That’s why we were stunned when Labor announced their plans to take $2.3 billion from university funding and tertiary student support to fund the essential Gonski reforms.
We weren’t at all surprised when Tony Abbott’s Coalition quickly supported them – after all, cutting the university budget is their policy.
Lee is meeting with new Higher Education Minister Craig Emerson in 14 days: sign our petition for him to fund schools by fixing the mining tax, not with $2.3 billion cuts to universities.
Public education from early childhood to university is an investment in our common future. When we don’t fund education properly, the most disadvantaged people suffer the most.
The Greens have been the strongest supporters of a big increase in public school funding in this Parliament. We have been ready and waiting for the Government to work with us to legislate for the full amount of new school investment from the Gonski reforms for many months now, and we know we can fund it by fixing the mining tax.
Cutting university funding to better fund schools doesn’t add up. Making sure that billionaire companies pay a fair share of their massive profits through the mining tax is a better way to properly fund teachers to do their vital work.
Community support for well-funded public schools and universities is strong. Already, young Greens members on campus are joining other students and staff to stand up against these short-sighted university cuts. We will continue to proudly support the phenomenal community campaign to properly fund our public schools and least advantaged students.
We’re on the cusp of a big step forward for our schools. Let’s not let Labor and Liberal join forces to take our universities backwards.
Yours,
Lee Rhiannon & Penny Wright
Greens Spokespeople on Higher Education & Schools
P.S. A regional university has just confirmed with us that it will lose more than $10.3 million in the first two years of Labor’s cuts: that’s more than $440 per student, per year. This uni has accepted more disadvantaged students in recent years, and it invests heavily in supporting those students to do well. This cut will make them less able to do that. Help us take the concerns of this university and many others to Minister Emerson on May 2.