Maintenance backlogs have been drawn into the attack on reduced Gonski funding as schools face waiting times of up to 17 years.
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Member for Orange Phil Donato spoke outside Bletchington Public School on Monday in response to federal government arguments schools funding would still increase during the next decade under a revised Gonski funding model.
“Well that’s all good in 10 years’ time but in effect, the model that was proposed saw the majority of funding go to these schools in these last two years of this model,” he said.
“What we see now is the goalposts being moved back once again, schools will be worse off because they won’t have access to this money that they’ve budgeted for, that goes to … things like teachers’ aids, resources for children, training for teachers, all those things that at the end of the day benefit the children are going to be delayed and denied.”
Mr Donato said Education Minister Rob Stokes’ threats to take court action against the federal government showed how serious the situation was.
“What confidence would the people of this electorate and across the state have in a government that makes a commitment when they couldn’t even honour the six-year agreement?” he said.
He said he would make representations to Mr Stokes, member for Calare Andrew Gee and federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham.
NSW Teachers Federation country organiser Kelly Anderson said staff jobs could be under threat.
“Our concern is that if students who start kindergarten now won’t be able to receive the full amount of Gonski funding until 2027,” she said.
Mr Donato said the backlogs remained a state issue and hoped they could be rectified in the upcoming budget.
Canobolas, Clergate, Nashdale, Orange East, Spring Hill and Spring Terrace public schools, Molong Central School and Orange and Canobolas Rural Technology high schools have improved their position since the 2015-16 annual report.
But others, including Bletchington, Borenore, Bowen, Calare, Glenroi Heights, Mullion Creek and Orange public schools and Anson Street School have become worse.
Bletchington’s backlog rose from $411,967 in 2015-16 to $474,951 in the latest figures, with a 13-year wait.
Backlogs and wait times for Orange schools:
- Anson Street – $211,859, 13 years
- Bletchington Public – $474,951, 13 years
- Borenore Public – $53,172, 12 years
- Bowen Public – $35,827, two years
- Calare Public – $172,042, five years
- Canobolas Public – $47,350, six years
- Canobolas High – $283,528, six years
- Clergate Public – $19,897, three years
- Glenroi Heights Public – $236,190, 11 years
- Molong Central – $594,302, 14 years
- Mullion Creek Public – $102,072, 17 years
- Nashdale Public – $24,426, four years
- Orange East Public – $77,093, five years
- Orange High – $59,714, one year
- Orange Public – $70,520, two years
- Spring Hill Public – $96,075, 16 years