Catholic schools step up campaign against Gonski 2.0 education reforms

The National Catholic Education Commission says families and staff have been mobilised to fight for their local school in the face of federal funding reforms.

Catholic schools are stepping up their response to Education Minister Simon Birmingham's reforms, dubbed Gonski 2.0.

Catholic schools are stepping up their response to Education Minister Simon Birmingham's reforms, dubbed Gonski 2.0. Source: AAP

Catholic schools are warning MPs to expect more phone calls and letters as they continue to fight the Turnbull government's funding plans.

The sector is stepping up its response to Education Minister Simon Birmingham's reforms, dubbed Gonski 2.0, arguing it will result in fee increases.

"Catholic education has a history of running grassroots campaigns and that will be the way this ongoing effort to preserve the 200-year history of Catholic education will proceed," National Catholic Education Commission acting executive director Danielle Cronin told AAP on Saturday.

The families of 770,000 students and 100,000 staff have been mobilised to fight for their local school as part of a large-scale campaign, she said.
"MPs and Senators should expect the phone calls and letters from parents and principals to continue to roll in."

Liberal MP Jason Falinski says the government is delivering record funding but the "funding wars" need to stop.

"People need to take off the war paint. They need to come to the table and we need to work this through," he told ABC TV.

Fights with the states over education funding had been going on for nearly a decade, he said.

Mr Falinksi, the member for Mackellar on Sydney's northern beaches, said his daughter went to a Catholic school.

"In fact my daughter goes to the school most badly impacted by these funding changes and so if there's someone in the studio who shouldn't be supporting these changes it's me."

But he warned money spent on a mining industry-style campaign could be better spent educating Australia's children.

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Published 20 May 2017 10:20am
Updated 20 May 2017 11:09am
Source: AAP


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