Overall, Victorian Government Primary Schools will be disappointed as the government sector has not fared well.

Here is a quick summary of the key budget issues impacting on education for your consideration as requested.

Overall Victorian Government Primary Schools will be disappointed as the government sector has not fared well overall.

1. Government schools can look to $6.1million additional funding, the non-government sector received $27 million.
2. “Additional funding for students with disabilities, teacher and school performance funding, modest capital works, additional funding for school support services and funding to support international experiences for Year Nine students are welcome, but do little to redress the cuts from previous years not to balance the ongoing increased funding on the non-government sector
3. It is particularly disappointing that there is no commitment to the Gonski National Plan for School Improvement. This Plan has the capacity to guarantee an indexed, needs-based school funding formula. This is crucial to the provision of quality schooling in government schools. Many principals are feeling that greater transparency is required given as to what happened to the National Partnerships reward funding, where $100 million has been disbursed only to non-government schools.
4. There is concern about EMA again being reduced from $48 million in 2011/2012 to $41 million in this budget year.
5. Further information can be found from Budget Paper No 3 on the Department of Treasury and Finance Website via www.dtf.vic.gov.au or at www.budget.vic.gov.au/budget/html