Latest News

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New report recommends modernising school arrangements, backed by full funding and resources

18/10/2024

A new research paper from Monash University is recommending Victoria explore options to modernise school provision, supported with full funding for public schools and bold measures to address the public education workforce shortage.

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New analysis highlights economic benefits of investing in public schools

09/10/2024

New analysis from Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, has highlighted the large economic, social, and fiscal benefits from funding public schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard.

The analysis, Leaving Money on the Table: Foregone Economic Gains from Continued SRS Underfunding, reveals the economic costs of the Albanese government’s current offer to states and territories of a 2.5% increase in its SRS contribution, to 22.5 %, instead of a full 25%. 

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AEU places immediate ban on implementation of the national reform agreement

09/10/2024

The Australian Education Union has placed an immediate ban on the implementation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. 

Federal President, Correna Haythorpe said: “The AEU Federal Executive has placed an immediate nation-wide ban on the implementation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, particularly initiatives which are unfunded and that will increase the workload of the overstretched and under-resourced teaching profession. 

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New Tasmanian deal fails to deliver full funding for public school students

25/09/2024

Today’s announcement of a funding deal between the Albanese Government and the Tasmanian Government will lock in inequality for public schools, students and their families across the next decade. Tasmanian children will never have full funding under the new deal between Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

While the full details are scant, what we do know from the Prime Minister’s comments today is that there will be a shortfall of almost $260 million between 2024 and 2028 for Tasmanian public schools.

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Three-quarters of Victoria's private schools get more public funding than public schools

06/09/2024

The extent of inequity in Australia’s school funding has been revealed in new research, showing that more than half of private schools in Victoria now receive more combined government funding (Commonwealth and state) per student than public schools of very similar size, location and with similar student needs. 

The Australian Education Union report is being released as Commonwealth, state and territory leaders gather today for the National Cabinet. 

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New WA funding deal leaves public schools underfunded

03/09/2024

New WA funding deal leaves public schools underfunded by $1.32 billion over the next five years.

Contrary to claims by the Cook Government, the landmark bilateral agreement signed by the State and Commonwealth governments today will still leave public students in Western Australia underfunded.

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TAFE teachers vote unanimously to escalate industrial action

22/08/2024

Victorian TAFE teachers are set to escalate industrial action with more stopwork action and further bans and limitations on work, following a historic 24-hour stopwork yesterday that saw hundreds of TAFE teachers rally to demand fairer pay and conditions on the steps of State Parliament. 

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United stand for public school funding

21/08/2024

A historic coalition of Education Ministers from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory has joined the Australian Education Union (AEU) Federal President, Correna Haythorpe, State Presidents, Public Education Association leaders, public school principals, teachers, parents and students, at Parliament House in Canberra to fight for full funding of public schools.

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2024 NAPLAN results reveal effects of decade-long delays to public school funding

14/08/2024

The 2024 NAPLAN results have delivered a damning indictment on the failure of governments to fully fund public schools and show, once again, the urgency of the Albanese Government delivering on their pre-election promise for public schools to be funded at 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard.

NAPLAN is just one measure of student achievement; however, its data adds to the large evidence base about inequality and the unacceptable achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds.

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New research rings alarm bells for public school workforce

09/08/2024

New research by Monash University shows the teacher workforce crisis in Victorian public schools will get worse unless significant steps are taken to address workloads and salaries. 

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