AEU appearance at Senate Select Committee on School Funding (Gonski)

Terry Polglase, AEU Tasmanian Branch President, appeared before the Senate Select Committee on School Funding at a hearing in Hobart today.

Mr Polglase tabled to the Senate Committee the AEU’s Gonski pledge (Download below) as signed by Premier Will Hodgman on the 19 February 2014.

In signing the pledge, Will Hodgman commits to funding the state’s share of the Tasmanian Gonski Agreement for the full six years, irrespective of actions from the Federal Government.

In addition:

• Will Hodgman commits, through the pledge, to growing the Tasmanian education budget (through indexation) as set out in the Tasmanian Gonski Agreement.

• Will Hodgman pledges to lobby Tony Abbott at forums such as COAG to ensure the Federal Government delivers its share of the Tasmanian Gonski Agreement.

• Will Hodgman is to direct his Education Minister to pursue Gonski at the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC).

The AEU was disappointed to learn that the Department of Education (DoE) did not appear before the Senate Committee today in Hobart to present the case for Gonski on behalf of public education in Tasmania.

We have sought a meeting with the new Minister for Education, Jeremy Rockliff, to talk about the implementation of the Tasmanian Gonski Agreement and will seek an explanation as to the non-attendance of the DoE at the hearing.

Download:
Hodgman_Gonski_pledge_signed.pdf
Terry Polglase, AEU Tasmanian Branch President