MEDIA RELEASE

AEU launches major national school funding campaign

72 percent of voters in key marginal seats think public
schools underfunded: new poll

The Australian Education Union will today launch its major national campaign to
demand fair funding for public schools. Dozens of principals, parents, teachers and
union officials will descend on Parliament House to meet with caucus groups and
members of parliament about the impact of the Turnbull Government’s funding cuts.

New AEU polling shows the overwhelming majority of voters in 18 key marginal
electorates believe federal funding for public school is too low and that funding should
be increased straight away.

Results show school funding will be a key federal election vote decider, with 83% of
respondents stating that public school funding is very important or fairly important to
how they will vote.

Key figures:

o 83 percent of voters say funding public schools is important in deciding who they
will vote for in the next federal election.
o 72 percent of voters think federal funding for public schools is too low.
o 79 percent of voters think increasing public school funding is better for Australia
than cutting company tax rates.
o 81 percent of soft voters have no confidence in Malcolm Turnbull to provide
funds for public schools in the future.
o Only 24 percent of voters think Malcolm Turnbull is focused on ensuring public
schools are in good shape.[1]

School funding is more important to voters than cutting company tax rates, with 79% of
respondents stating that increasing public school funding to the national schooling
resource standard is better for Australia’s future than cutting company tax rates.

Quotes attributable to AEU Federal President, Correna Haythorpe:

“The Australian public have spoken – they want fair funding for public schools and they
want it now.
“Malcolm Turnbull may have thought he settled the school funding issue, but he has
started a new funding war and we’ll be fighting for our public schools right up until the
election.

“In 2018 and 2019 we were going to see the biggest ever investment of funding in public
schools by the Commonwealth Government, an investment that would have
fundamentally transformed the education that children receive in our schools.

“In real terms, this would have meant smaller class sizes, additional teachers and
support staff, new literacy and numeracy programs and more.

“Instead, the Turnbull Government cut almost $1.9 billion from public schools in 2018
and 2019 and their school funding changes will leave 87% of public schools below the
agreed Schooling Resource Standard by 2023.

“That’s why today we are launching the Fair Funding Now campaign because a fair go
for all children is needed now.

“If our leaders can’t commit to ensuring every school is at 100% of the resourcing
standard, then they should look at every parent and teacher in the eye and explain to
them why their children aren’t a priority.

“From today we will be ramping up our campaign. We will be active across Australia,
through social media, outdoor advertising, and targeted action in 18 marginal Federal
seats including door knocking and phone banks.

“We will be active in every school community across Australia making the case for Fair
Funding Now and we won’t back down until every child is given a fair go,” said Correna
Haythorpe.

Pictures from campaign launch available upon request

MEDIA CONTACT: BRONTE KERR, 0411 676 269