WA: Govt funding plan gives no certainty to schools: opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2007
WA: Govt funding plan gives no certainty to schools: opposition

PERTH, Aug 3 AAP - A federal government proposal for state schools to seek commonwealth
funding is a last minute "thought bubble" that gives no certainty to schools, Labor says.

Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop reportedly told The Australian newspaper communities
facing school closures or downgrades could instead create community-based alternatives
which would receive direct commonwealth funding.

But the education minister issued a statement today saying the report's headline was
"misleading" and there had been no change to the federal government's schools policy.

Federal Labor's education spokesman Stephen Smith said if the government was serious
about schools' funding it would indicate what it had in mind regarding the next four-year
school funding cycle, due to start in January 2009.

"This is just another illustration, we've weeks and months to go before an election,
of the government doing something because of the election," Mr Smith told reporters in
Perth today.

"It's been there for 11-long years. If this thought bubble from Julie Bishop was such
a good idea why hasn't the government been doing it for the last decade or so.

"It's all about politics, it's not about a long-term enduring commitment to improving
educational standards or making our schools better."

AAP np/bd/jt/mn

KEYWORD: STATES SCHOOLS SMITH (PIX COMING)

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