GOVERNMENT ADDRESSES CONGRESS GONSKI CONCERNS

Government Addresses Congress Concerns in Historic Education Reform

The Congress Co-Chairs welcome moves by the Government to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, no matter where they are in the school system, will benefit from education reforms.

“We raised our concerns about the funding model in our submission to the Gonski Review and to the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth directly,” said Co-Chair, Jody Broun.

“We have been informed by the Minister’s office that the Government is proposing to address this issue by providing a loading on a sliding scale to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

“Congress welcomes the Government’s commitment to education reform and the emphasis on performance and results.  It’s clear that extra support is needed for many of our students to succeed,” she said.

“We support the need for a new funding system which is accountable and transparent to ensure every dollar identified to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is spent to improve outcomes,” said Co-Chair Les Malezer.

“Congress believes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in children’s education in a deliberate and robust way at all levels – including decision making about funding – is critical to achieve the best possible outcomes.

“Our children perform well at school when the connections between families, home and school are strong, when quality teachers are in front of classes, when curriculum is culturally relevant and inclusive, and when school infrastructure and resources are tailored to local circumstances,”  he said.