The Victorian Greens are pushing for a parliamentary inquiry and have distributed an open letter calling on Premier Jacinta Allan to reverse her government’s $2.4 billion cut to public schools, as part of a two-pronged campaign to ensure every Victorian child gets the education they deserve.
This week the Greens have distributed an Open Letter to the Premier demanding the immediate reinstatement of funding to meet the Gonski Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2028, not 2031 as Labor quietly decided and concealed.
The Victorian Greens are also pushing for a parliamentary inquiry to examine the consequences of effectively cutting $2.4 billion from public school funding, with the cumulative impact, including lost federal contributions nearing $3 billion and entrenching Victoria as the lowest funder of public schools in the country.
The Greens will move in the Upper House on Wednesday, for the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee to inquire and consider the impact of the delay of Gonski funding for Victorian students, teachers and schools, with the inquiry set to report by April 2026.
The Victorian Greens say an inquiry is essential, as Victoria already has the lowest-funded public schools in the country, Labor’s decision to delay Gonski funding will only make things worse and has jeopardised millions in additional funding from the Commonwealth.
Victorian Greens Education spokesperson, Dr Tim Read:
“Victorians deserve to know the consequences of this quiet decision made by the Premier and concealed in Budget papers that essentially rips $2.4 billion from our already underfunded schools and puts millions in Commonwealth support at risk.
“This is critical funding. Teachers are burning out, schools are under pressure, children don’t have access to the support they need – and this decision means that a child starting prep today won’t get full funding until Grade Six.
“The Premier has serious questions to answer. In the so-called Education State, why is Victoria stepping back while every other state steps up?”