By: Elizabeth Lee
Media reporting today directly contradicts the ACT Labor Education Minister’s repeated claims in Question Time that ACT government schools are not facing budget cuts.
Canberra Liberals Shadow Minister for Education Elizabeth Lee said the figures leave only two possibilities, “The Minister does not know what is happening in her own portfolio, or she knowingly misled the Assembly and the public.”
The Canberra Timesreports at least 58 of the ACT’s 93 public schools face cuts totalling more than $43 million.
Schools supporting some of Canberra’s most vulnerable students are among the hardest hit:
- Malkara more than $2.8 million
- Black Mountain more than $3 million
- Cranleigh more than $1.7 million
- The Woden School more than $1.6 million.
“These are the schools supporting students with some of the highest and most complex needs, yet they are being hit with some of the largest budget cuts. Parents deserve honesty about what these cuts will mean for their children and the support they rely on,” Ms Lee said.
Yesterday the Minister denied schools were facing budget cuts. Growth in the overall Education budget does not change what individual schools are being told they must cut.
As Angela Burroughs, Head of the ACT AEU, said this morning, “We’d like the minister to come clean with the public about budget cuts to ACT public schools, to stop the political trickery of arguing that there’s no cut to education budgets because the school communities know otherwise.”
Ms Burroughs went on to say, “We just want honesty and transparency, and the minister to take accountability in explaining to the community what the impact of these cuts will be on school support.”
The Minister and the Directorate still say budgets are not finalised. Principals, staff, families and the union are already warning of the impact.
“This Minister has overseen a chaotic process that has caused unnecessary confusion, stress and anxiety for principals, teachers, parents and students. It’s time to stop the spin, take responsibility and tell Canberrans exactly what services and support will be lost as a result of these cuts,” Ms Lee said.