Australian Education Union (AEU) members and supporters rallied outside the office of Anthony Carbines MP, on November 12, to demand that Victorian Labor stop delaying public school funding until 2031.
An agreement with the federal government to deliver full and fair funding to public schools was made in January.
The protesters said public education is already underfunded, teachers’ working conditions are deteriorating and cutting essential programs, such as the Tutor Learning Initiative, is wrong.
The AEU said on November 3 that a recent National School Resourcing Board report on school funding revealed that Labor had failed to deliver $219 million to public schools in 2023, despite an agreement with the federal government.
AEU Victorian Branch president Justin Mullaly said pay rises will not happen without “the funding available to deliver them”.
He said the premier had “effectively ripped $2.4 billion of that promised funding from public schools by delaying the deal to 2031”.
The government’s decision will leave public schools at least “$2.4 billion worse off unless the decision is reversed,” Mullaly said.
“Funding delayed is funding denied,” was a popular chant during the rally.
Tara Burnett, AEU member and public school teacher, told the protest that the government is “too busy giving handouts to big business and pay raises elsewhere, to fulfil its promises for full funding of public schools”.
“Schools aren’t able to plan, budget or have enough staff for the students, [and] turn students away ... this is especially bad in regional areas.”
AEU member Daryl Croke told Green Left it is “outrageous” that private schools receive more state funding for each student and that “private schools should not be receiving any government funding”. Croke said the significant attrition rate among younger and newer teachers is caused by higher expectations from the bosses despite fewer resources.
Michael, retired teacher and AEU member, slammed Labor for its proposed Adult Time for Violent Crime Bill, which would allow children as young as aged 14 years old to face adult sentences in adult courts.
“The lack of funding of state schools has contributed to the so-called youth crime problem. Locking up a child as young as 14 costs $2.4 million per year. We should spend that sort of money on early intervention and prevention.”