Only Greens vote to support teachers and schools

The Australian Education Bill must be amended to prioritise the most disadvantaged schools first, says Australian Greens spokesperson on Schools, Senator Penny Wright.

Labor and the Coalition have walked away from core tenets of the recommendations of the Gonski school funding review, says Australian Greens spokesperson on Schools Senator Penny Wright.

The Labor and Liberal parties voted against a Senate motion today to provide stronger support to teachers and address under-resourcing of public schools.

"Raising education standards in Australia is crucial so every Australian child can have a world-class education, no matter where they live or their family background.

"But raising standards is not just about higher university scores for trainee teachers - it is about creating demand for teaching and we do this by treating teachers like other professionals, with fair wages and career structures.

"We need to attract the best to teaching and we need to keep them there once they are in the workforce.

"The old parties are burying their heads in the sand when it comes to the impact that under-resourcing has on teacher morale.

"The Australian Greens are the only party with a plan to get the Gonski reforms underway without delay and today's vote makes it clear the Greens are the only party to back improving morale and job satisfaction among teachers."

The full text of the motion can be found here.