Gonski TV adverts were launched in Tasmania today in the wake of revelations by the State Government that Malcolm Turnbull will cut funding to public schools and deny the state $100M in Gonski funding.

Helen Richardson, AEU Tasmanian Branch President, said that securing bi-partisan support for education funding was now more urgent than ever.

“Malcolm Turnbull’s plan for our schools are cuts and a denial of $100M in Gonski funding, which the State Government says will entrench disadvantage in our state for generations to come,”* said Helen Richardson.

“Gonski provides for more teachers, more literacy and numeracy support, and more individual teacher time for students, which we know enables them to reach their potential and every child deserves that opportunity,” said Ms Richardson.

“The Hodgman Government says that if we can ‘lift education we can lift Tasmania’ but that won’t happen if Malcom Turnbull carries out his plan to cut public school funding and dump Gonski.”**

“We have many kids with high and complex needs, which are serious barriers to learning. These students can least afford to be denied resources if they are to have a fair go at getting a great education.”

“The State Government rightly points out that we have the highest need of all states or territories, so it’s critical that they pull out all stops to secure Gonski school funding and are supported in that fight by Tasmanian Federal Government MPs.”

“There needs to be bi-partisan support for Gonski reforms – what are Tasmanian Federal Government MPs Andrew Nikolic, Brett Whiteley and Eric Hutchinson doing to stand up for Tasmanian students?”

The Gonski TV adverts, which air state-wide today, are part of an escalation of the Tasmanian Gonski campaign in the light of revelations by the Education Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, that public schools will be cut from 2018, and $100M Gonski funding will be denied to Tasmanian students.

*Tasmanian Government School Funding Investment Submission March 2016 ( HERE )

**The Liberal Government has, at its heart, a commitment to raising educational standards because we believe that if we can lift education, we can lift Tasmania.( HERE )
Harriet Binet Communications, Campaigns and Media Australian Education Union Tasmanian Branch