Forum demands more money for public schools

Fifty people attended the Public School Dreams forum, hosted by the Inner City Teachers Association (ICTA) on November 16.

In attendance were students, parents, teachers and principals from 16 inner-city schools, Leichhardt Greens mayor Jamie Parker and NSW Greens upper house member John Kaye. Students from Darlington Public School opened the forum with two songs.

School communities at the forum were encouraged to submit comments to the federal government’s Review of Funding for Schooling.

ICTA secretary John Gauci said: “Public schools educate the vast majority of students in NSW. We educate the majority of students in regional or remote areas as well as those students with additional learning needs. We need to ensure public schools have increased funding to meet all students’ individual needs.

“We need a funding system that recognises the additional costs of educating children from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances — family, special needs and geographical location. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to highlight the need for additional funding for public schools and help school communities to make submissions for additional funding.”

A teacher from Taverners Hill Infants said a fairer funding scheme would grant their school of 88 students $132,000 extra a year. This would employ an extra teacher to provide struggling students with numeracy and literacy support, and more modern resources.

Submissions to the review can be made at forourfuture.nswtf.org.au.