Gonski gamble: Education is too important to risk

The Labor Government is prepared to risk the education of Australian children to boost their own electoral chances, says Australian Greens spokesperson on Schools, Senator Penny Wright.

"Fixing our broken school funding system is too important to leave in Tony Abbott's hands, yet Labor is staking it all on last-chance COAG negotiations to produce an 'education election'," Senator Wright said.

"The Government have been dragging their feet over the Gonski school funding reforms since February last year. If this government was serious about fixing the enormous problems in our education system, we would have legislation by now.

"The Australian Greens are genuinely concerned that this once-in-a-generation chance to fix huge inequality across Australian schools may be lost, because Labor is prioritising their electoral position above the public good.

"The Gonski reforms are just too important to risk with the possibility of an Abbott government. Tony Abbott does not want to invest in public schools. In fact, he wants to cut school funding.

"Yet the Government is willing to take a gamble and jeopardise the education of Australian children, in the hopes of getting a last-minute deal before an election."