SES extension a desperate con job

04/08/10

Labor’s extension of the socioeconomic status (SES) of school communities funding model by just one more year is a desperate election fix and does nothing to help families.

That still leaves a potential $1 billion shortfall in non-government school funding in real terms over the life of the next agreement.

Parents are already struggling with the upward pressure on the cost of living caused by Labor’s reckless waste.

Parents who have children in non-government schools deserve to be told by Julia Gillard and Labor whether they can expect a massive hike in school fees in a few years time.

Julia Gillard must immediately guarantee that beyond the next election, no non-government school will be worse off in real terms.

Anything less is just a blatant election con job.

In 2000, Julia Gillard described at length how she believed the Howard Government’s SES funding model was a ‘flawed model’.

Today Ms Gillard has announced that if Labor is re-elected she will maintain the SES funding model for another full term. Combined with Labor’s first term in office the SES funding model will be in place only one year less than under the previous government.  

The Coalition has already guaranteed the continuance of the SES funding model including indexation. We’re standing up for families by supporting parental choice and diversity in education.