Cuts to education funding are shortsighted

Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay has called on the NSW Government to immediately open negotiations with education providers to discuss the negative impacts of budget cuts to that sector.
As state education ministers meet with the federal government to discuss the implementation of reforms to education delivery as recommended in the Gonski scheme, media reports have indicated that the NSW Government will tear $250 million from the yearly education budget.
Mr Torbay said the news came as a shock, following this week’s sitting of parliament in which cuts to education funding were never mentioned.
“MPs sat in parliament for three days this week and these cuts were never mentioned, not even hinted at,” Mr Torbay said.  “That indicates to me that these cuts are not the result of reasoned negotiations between the government and the education sector, rather it is a treasury-led cut.
“I have been in touch with the Minister for Education and received an assurance that no decisions have yet been made about where savings will be made in the education portfolio.
“If that is the case, the government should immediately open negot-iations with education providers to discuss funding needs.”
Late last month the NSW Government supported, in principle, the Gonski report as sound, agreeing that all children should have access to the best possible education regardless of where they live, the income of their family or the school they attend.
“Late last month the Minister assured me in parliament that education is too important to use as a ‘political football’ and that any changes to school funding should not be used to ‘pit public schools against private schools’,” Mr Torbay said.
“Today’s revelation of massive funding cuts to state and independent schools flies directly in the face of that assurance and the Gonski model and is short sighted.
“I have made strong representations to the Minister calling for an investment in education, not cuts.”