Australia’s Children Don’t Deserve 10 Years Of Disadvantage – And Australia Can’t Afford It.

AUSTRALIA’S COMMUNITY AND CHARITY SECTOR SAYS “NO” TO EDUCATION INEQUALITY

MEDIA RELEASE
Standing together at Australia’s Parliament House, national community and charity sector peak bodies ACOSS and Community Council for Australia, multicultural services organisation SSI and child and young person research organisation ARACY today demanded an end to underfunding of public education in Australia and said that the proposed Australian Government’s 10-year National Schools Funding Agreement that resigns public school students to a decade of disadvantage, calling on the Labor Government to commit to funding 25% of the School Resourcing Standard and cease short-changing Australia’s children.

Public schools educate two-thirds of all Australian students – including 80% of children from families of low socio-economic advantage, more than 80% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children, more than two thirds of children with disability and more than 67% of students whose families speak a language other than English at home. With this view, it is clear which children are being disproportionately left behind.

The Federal Government is demanding that States to sign up to a ten-year deal that would continue to grow the opportunity gap for the most disadvantaged children in our communities, place more pressure on teachers and undermines the well-being of Australia’s young people, communities and economy.
Despite all of the evidence demonstrating that long-term outcomes for children, communities and the economy improve when students do well at school, the Government’s ten-year under-funding deal has no power to guarantee that additional funds will be spent ensuring that disadvantaged children receive the support they need to thrive.

Quotes:

Quotes attributable to Cassandra Goldie AO, CEO, ACOSS
“The vast majority of students experiencing poverty and disadvantage are educated in the public school system.”

“The current funding gap for public schools puts children at risk of falling further behind their peers, further entrenching existing inequalities.”

“ACOSS strongly urges the Federal Government to properly fund public schools, so all students have access to a high-quality education.”

Quotes attributable to David Crosbie, CEO, Community Council for Australia
“Investment in our children is really about achieving the kind of Australia we want. When every child in Australia has an equal chance to realise their potential, everyone of us will benefit as a healthier and more prosperous nation.”

“Ten-year agreements are welcome – if they back our kids and our future – with the full standard of funding we know is needed. That’s the kind of Australia we want.”

Quotes attributable to Violet Roumeliotis AM, CEO, SSI
“67% of students whose families speak a language other than English at home attend public schools. Ensuring public schools are fully funded will benefit all children, but it will be a particularly important for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.”

“Children’s early circumstances strongly predict outcomes throughout their life course. At SSI, we have undertaken research showing that children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable at school entry than their peers. This means it is critical that, upon entering school, these children have adequate support to not only survive but thrive.”

Quotes attributable to Nicole Deen, Lead, Capacity Building, ARACY
“No child should miss out because of underfunded schools. We need every school at the minimum funding standard to ensure every child thrives.”

“Schools are more than just places of learning—they’re critical to our children’s health and wellbeing. ARACY calls for fair funding of all schools to ensure every child can be supported holistically.”

“Our children’s future isn’t something to be scrimping on. Fully funding schools is an investment in their success as well as Australia’s long-term success.”

“Children facing the greatest barriers to success are being let down by underfunded schools. We need full funding now to break the cycle of disadvantage.”

ENDS

ARACY Media Contact:
Adam Valvasori