The Victorian Government has quietly cut $2.4 billion from our public schools by delaying meeting their funding commitments under Gonski (the minimum amount of government funding a school requires to meet the needs of its students) by three years.

This decision effectively cuts $2.4 billion from public schools over the next six years.

The Labor Government previously committed to raise Victoria’s school funding to 75% of Gonski’s Schooling Resource Standard by 2028, with the Commonwealth to contribute the remaining 25%. This has now been secretly delayed three years to 2031. 

The Commonwealth is prepared to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding if Victoria meets its Gonski commitments, but Labor’s backflip means our schools will never see this money. 

The majority of SRS funding is used to fund school staff, but these cuts make it even harder for teachers to properly meet the learning and wellbeing needs of students, driving them out of teaching careers. Victorian Labor is funding our schools to fail. 

Sign the Victorian Greens open letter calling on the State Labor Government to reverse its decision, and fully fund our public schools. 

Open letter to the Premier of Victoria
CC: Minister for Education 

Dear Premier Allan 

URGENT: REVERSE YOUR DECISION TO DELAY FULLY FUNDING THE GONSKI SCHOOLING RESOURCE STANDARD  

Victoria’s state schools are already the lowest-funded in Australia, receiving thousands of dollars less per student in state and Commonwealth funding than all other states and territories. 

Now it has been revealed that you have quietly reversed the Victorian Labor Government’s previous commitment to fully fund the State’s contribution to Gonski’s Schooling Resource Standard by 2028 – delaying funding for three years to 2031. 

As you are aware, this decision effectively cuts $2.4 billion from public schools over the next six years. 

It means a child who started prep this year won’t receive proper ongoing school funding until their final year of primary school, while a kid starting year 8 will miss out entirely.

Unlike the Liberals, State Labor Governments used to proudly prioritise investing in state education, learning and students. But if this decision is not reversed, instead your government’s legacy will resemble the infamous Kennett-Liberal cuts to public schools in the 1990s.  

Every other state and territory is investing more into their students’ education and futures. Victorian children should not be left behind. 

Victorians urge you to reverse this decision, recommit to funding Gonski by 2028 at the latest, and put $2.4 billion back into state education for students.

Yours sincerely,

Ellen Sandell MP, Leader of the Victorian Greens 

Dr Tim Read, MP, Victorian Greens Spokesperson for Education 

Sarah Mansfield, MLC for Western Victoria 

Katherine Copsey, MLC for Southern Metro 

Aiv Puglielli, MLC for North Eastern Metro

Anasina Gray-Barberio, MLC for Nothern Metro

Gabrielle De Vietri, MP for Richmond