Forum fights education cuts
Around 100 teachers, parents and concerned local community members gathered for a forum organised by Greens MP Jamie Parker to fight back against the NSW Government’s plans to slash education spending across the state.
Held last Thursday at Leichhardt Town Hall, the forum featured as part of a series of community campaigns held across the state. The forum was held to help create a groundswell of support to overturn the plans to slash NSW Government education spending by $1.7 billion.
Greens MP for Balmain, Jamie Parker described the cuts as “a disaster for all forms of education … and wrong financially, economically and socially”.
In a letter read out by Mr Parker from the Education Minister Adrian Piccoli in place of his absence, it explained that “with a $5.2 billion reduction in GST revenue over the next four years, and reductions in other forms of revenues … the State Government has had to make tough decisions to ensure NSW is living within its means”.
Mr Parker hit out at the claim the state was broke.
“In light of the fact that treasury found a $1 billion error in their budget, this really should go towards turning back the cuts.”
Angry scenes broke out when speakers at the forum detailed the plans to cut education spending, which are set to see a reduction in backroom staff, a cut in funding to “low skill priority” TAFE courses and cuts to government grants for “low-need” disability students.
President of the NSW Teachers Federation, Maurie Mulheron criticised the government’s ‘Local Schools Local Decisions’ campaign, aimed at empowering principals in making school-based decisions. He said it was “just a way by which principals are blamed for cutbacks, when it is in fact because of the government”.
Mr Mulheron implored the crowd to be part of the swelling community movement to overturn the cuts.
“It will cause a permanent structural change by which there is no going back,” he said.
Gemma Turner and Louise Lourey from Families Against Disability Discrimination also criticised the cutbacks. Ms Lourey said the government was “discriminating against schools with a good record for helping disabled students … who are easy to ignore in the system”.
Mr Parker said: “It really depends on the community. [It is up to] communities to lobby and campaign against the cuts and that will be the decisive factor.”
Mr Parker is hoping to work in conjunction with the ALP and the Nationals to campaign against cuts to education spending. The next phase of the ‘Putting Students First’ campaign is a community day of action to be held on Sunday at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour.
By Jonathan Mimo
