Independent candidate for Sturt, Dr Verity Cooper has responded to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s recent comments proposing deep cuts to the Federal Department of Education and tying school funding to specific curriculum compliance.
Dr Cooper said the proposals risk dragging Australia into a politicised education environment reminiscent of overseas trends, where school funding and curriculum have become a battleground for ideological interference.
“Mr Dutton’s comments have ignited serious concern across the education sector,” she said.
“We must protect the independence of our schools, resist the politicisation of the curriculum, and ensure that funding reform is led by educational need, not ideology.
“Australia’s students deserve a high-quality, equitable education system supported by policy that looks forward to support future generations, not backward, which is what I will be standing for in Parliament.”
Dr Cooper said the suggestion that schools must adhere to a modified Federal Government-imposed curriculum in exchange for funding undermines the independence of educators and threatens the integrity of learning in classrooms.
“Using funding as a form of coercion to influence curriculum is an unwelcomed development — one that risks importing the worst elements of politically motivated education policy from abroad. This is not the direction Australians want for our schools, our teachers, or our children,” she said.
“Instead of forcing teachers to spend precious time and resources proving their compliance with a national curriculum, we should be focused on supporting them to teach effectively in today’s increasingly complex classrooms.
“Teachers are at the frontline of some of the most challenging social, emotional, and educational issues faced by young people. What they need is trust, time, and professional support, not to get caught in the middle of political point-scoring.
“We must support teachers and our young people, not further tie them up in bureaucratic compliance.”
Dr Cooper said that while the the original Gonski review laid out a roadmap for equitable school funding more than a decade ago, Australia is still many years away from anything close to the full implementation of its recommendations.
“While the recent Better and Fairer Schools Agreements mark some progress — including raising Federal contributions to 25 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) — the timeline for reaching funding targets stretches to 2034 in some jurisdictions,” she said.
“By then, the original 2012 report will be more than two decades old, and even the 2018 update will be 16 years old – the question is, will still be reflective of educational
needs by the time we get there?
“This slow pace of change raises serious questions: Are we building a funding system for today, or for the world of yesterday? Our focus must not just be on catching up with old recommendations but on designing an education system that is fit for purpose for the future.”
