I’m truly shocked at the current state of education funding in this country. While on the one hand the federal government has been advised to increase education funding in the Gonski report, on the other several state governments have announced savage cuts in funding for education.
It honestly doesn’t make sense to me.
In NSW, $1.7 billion has been slashed from the education budget for this year and future years. This press conference from the NSW Teachers Federation gives a good summary of how these cuts will affect our kids and the students to come after them.
I personally support the findings of the Gonski report and believe that education funding needs to be increased, especially for students with special needs. It is clear that cutting education funding is merely a false economy, only providing small savings now which will lead to greater expenditure later on.
The consequences of these cuts and the social cost they will inevitably result in are huge. It doesn’t make sense to me to go down this road, yet it is the path we are seemingly being forced to follow.
Yes, I have a personal stake in this. My husband is a teacher and is already under significant stress in his job – he doesn’t need more stress due to reduced funding, increased class sizes or an increased emphasis on teacher performance.
My son has special needs and is already being adversely affected by the changes to special needs funding as a result of the implementation of Every Student Every School. He has lost access to individual funding, so is no longer eligible to aide time in the playground. And we still have no idea what assistance he may or may not be entitled to next year.
I have tried to be an advocate on this issue but I haven’t been very successful. I had some steam up in the beginning – I wrote some posts and was interviewed by the local paper and wrote to relevant politicians. But the strain of real life, of living day in, day out, forever advocating for our son, took its toll.
After a while I could no longer find any more words, I was exhausted by the hopelessness of the situation and disheartened by the lack of progress. I just couldn’t bring myself to push any more.
However, I’m going to do my best to do more in fighting the good fight, because it is simply not good enough to stand back and watch while governments slash education budgets and further disadvantage our kids and jeopardise their futures.
It is just not good enough.
If only the pollies didn’t each have their own agenda and were actually worried about the people who voted them in.
Hope you have some success with your endeavours.
Have the best weekend !
Me
You’re so right – I really do wish our politicans really did have our best interests at heart, rather than their merely their own. It is clear none of them have any direct experience in raising and educating students with special needs. Fingers crossed we will be able to make a difference – we can only try.
It just blows my mind that they don’t think twice to pull finding for education, especially from special needs programs/benefits. Assholes! And it is so very hard for parents to be advocates for these issues and anyway, isn’t that what we elect politicians for?! They are clearly not doing their job when education gets slashed up politician salaries continue to rise!
It sucks, doesn’t it? I’m over politics and the politicians, I just wish they could step in our shoes for just one day to see what the real effects of their ill thought out policies are…thanks for taking the time to read and comment Aroha!
Thanks for making us aware of all these sites, Kirsty. As parents, it’s so important that we support each other any way we can.
It really is shameful how much they’re slashing from the education budget. Really appalling.
Thanks Grace. The current funding situation is appalling. More people need to know what long term effects these decisions will have on education for years to come. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Keep on fighting & sharing posts. I have kids who are also struggling, partly because they are very bright! I can’t believe the funding that is being cut either.
It’s ridiculous, isn’t it Melissa? I did finally get my act together and wrote an open letter to the DEC today – hoping that can at the very least raise awareness of what’s going on. It’s all so wrong and will not end well for anyone. Thanks for your support!