1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: Changing pace right now, because we know that the Australian 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Education Unions launched a campaign in Darwin in a bid 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: to secure adequate funding for public schools. So currently government 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: schools received just over eighty percent of the school resourcing standard, 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: with an additional two hundred and twenty seven million dollars 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: a year needed to bring nt schools up to one 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: hundred percent. Now, the union claims that at present there 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: is effectively no funding for one in five students and 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: it's calling on both the Northern Territory and the federal 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: governments to address this now. In just a moment's time, 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: we were actually joining me on the line right now 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: to talk further about the situation. Is the Education Union's 13 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: NTY branch president Michelle Airs. Good morning to you, Michelle, 14 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: Good morning Katie, Michelle. Can you just break this down 15 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: for us? Why is more funding needed? 16 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, so, I mean it's a bit complicated because we're 17 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 2: talking about percentages of percentages and you know, acronyms because 18 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 2: it's the government. But the way that it basically boils 19 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 2: down is according to the Federal government's own needs based 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 2: funding model for education Territory, students are underfunded in our 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 2: public schools. But basically one in five receives no funding whatsoever. 22 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: So one in five receiving no funding. How is that possible? 23 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: Well, because it is averaged out. So this is the 24 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: way that education funding flows into the NT school's budget. 25 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: That's then averaged out across all of the public schools 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory. And then as we have discussed 27 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 2: on your show and has been widely discussed the last 28 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 2: year or so, it's distributed based on attendance. So it 29 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: means that there are actually students within the Northern Territory 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: that would be like, this isn't just a thing that 31 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: we're making up. There would be students who haven't attended 32 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 2: school this year who won't receive funding next year school. 33 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: So what is the school resourcing standard? 34 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the school resourcing standard was It was brought 35 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: about through the Gonsky Review in twoy and eleven and 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: the David Gonsky and a panel of experts spent a 37 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 2: large amount of time studying what funding what minimum level 38 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: of funding is required so that students can achieve eighty 39 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: percent of like a c on naplan, So it's the 40 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: bare minimum required. And then the federal government has made 41 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 2: different changes and done different research with the data that 42 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: Gonsky put out. So there's a figure it's about thirteen 43 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: thousand dollars this year for primary school students for sixteen 44 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: thousand dollars per year four high school students. That they 45 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 2: say that every school like every student in Australia. That's 46 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 2: the SRS, but then needs based loadings. Those needs based 47 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: loadings are things like location, school size, aboriginality, English is 48 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: a second language, the level of education your parents receive, disability, 49 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 2: all of these things receive additional loadings because that means 50 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: that the child requires additional support to reach that core 51 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: level standard. And that's where we have really run into 52 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 2: problems in the Northern Territory because of that list that 53 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: I said. We have a whole heap of kids here 54 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: that hit all of those and so it costs so 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: much more to educate a child in the Northern Territory 56 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: than anywhere else in Australia on a per child basis, 57 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: and that's really how we've ended up here. 58 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: So what exactly is the Union now calling for? 59 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 2: So we are and the Union this campaign has now 60 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: been taken Australia wide. It's obviously it's close to our 61 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 2: hearts are in the territory. We've been talking about it 62 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: for a while, but the Australian Education Union has just 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 2: launched It's for Every Child campaign across Australia to bring 64 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: this SRS up to one hundred percent across Australia. We're 65 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: calling on the Federal government to adjust the Education Act, 66 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: which puts a cap of twenty percent funding that the 67 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: federal government can put into public schools. We're asking them 68 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 2: to raise that across Australia to twenty five percent. For 69 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 2: the territory. We're actually asking for it to be raised 70 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 2: even higher than that because of that additional cost, and 71 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 2: because the gap here is far wider than anywhere else. 72 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: Our closest neighbors are Queensland, who where one in ten 73 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 2: children are unfunded. Now one in ten that's not okay, 74 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 2: but one in five is a much greater need. So 75 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: we're asking that federal government gives that support to our 76 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 2: public schools and really invests in Australia's future, because that's 77 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 2: what we're talking about when we're talking about education. These 78 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 2: are our kids and this is our future. 79 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: Michelle. How does it stack up then, in comparison to 80 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: private schools. 81 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 2: So, yeah, that's a that's a really good question, and 82 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 2: there's some data. It's different in different places, but the 83 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,119 Speaker 2: federal government basically has no cap on what it's able 84 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 2: to supply into private schools because of the way education 85 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 2: is traditionally being you know, the sector's work. So the 86 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: state government is responsible to state schools and the federal 87 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: government helps out the private schools because they're you know, 88 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: not responsible under the state. So most of our private 89 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 2: schools in Australia, and that includes pretty much all of 90 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 2: the private schools in the Northern Territory, are actually funded 91 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 2: to one hundred percent of that school resource standard. Part 92 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: of that is parent fees, but there is a whole 93 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 2: lot of money going in from our federal government into 94 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 2: those private schools, whilst our public schools are left wanting. 95 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: Now, what would extra funding mean for students? 96 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, it costs money to educate kids, It 97 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: costs money to do just about anything. But additional funding 98 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 2: means more teacher time for kids, lower class slizes, more 99 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: time that that teacher is able to spend one on 100 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: one with each individual kid in the class. More you know, 101 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 2: they're able to target the learning directly at that student 102 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 2: need in the Northern Territory. I really believe it means 103 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: more kids engaged in education where they're supposed to be. 104 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 2: It takes money to create good quality programs that can 105 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 2: reach in and actually work with what we've got here 106 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory. And I'm not just saying that 107 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: as an education Union presenter. I'm saying that as a 108 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: classroom teacher who worked in a very remote area where 109 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: the best attendance strategy I saw was for me to 110 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 2: be able to help those kids to see that they 111 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: could learn and when they felt safe in the classroom 112 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 2: and they felt like they could learn, which took a 113 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: lot of my time, a lot of my energy. It 114 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 2: took skills and knowledge that took money for me to get. 115 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 2: It took investment that my principle knew how to find 116 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 2: different grants and that kind of thing to get as 117 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 2: those things. If you're not creative that way in our 118 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: government schools at the moment, it's really difficult to get 119 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: that kind of thing. But what I saw was kids 120 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: who had pretty much disengaged from school whatsoever, suddenly start learning, 121 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,679 Speaker 2: suddenly start engaging, wanting to be in school, almost begging 122 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 2: to be in school and learn sometimes and it really 123 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: is possible. We really just need the government to step 124 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: up and make the right decision when it comes to education. 125 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: So where is this that? Because I noted that the 126 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: Northern Territory government is saying that, yes, you know, we agree, 127 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: But so where's this that? Is it something that we're 128 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: purely calling on the federal government for. It doesn't sound 129 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: like it does still sound like we need the Northern 130 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: Territory government to come to the table as well. 131 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 2: Well. Absolutely, I mean, as I said before, education is 132 00:07:55,160 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 2: a state government and territory jurisdictional government responsibility, and we're 133 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 2: not asking the territory government to know. We need the 134 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: territory government to actually prioritize education. And one of the 135 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 2: big things that our Chief Minister and our Treasurer who's 136 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 2: also an education minister, loves to talk about is this, 137 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 2: you know, building a strong economy by twenty thirty forty 138 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 2: billion dollar economy, et cetera. One of my questions to 139 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: them is always, who's going to work in that strong 140 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: economy if we don't invest in education. So what I 141 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 2: see is that we need the federal government to step 142 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 2: in now, help to fill this gap, help to bring 143 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 2: our education stand it up and as we continue to 144 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: build towards that strong economy, the Northern Territory can invest 145 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: more and more into education until we're at a sustainable 146 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 2: place where we have a strong system that we the 147 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 2: territory and for funding. 148 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: Well, Michelle, it is always interesting to catch up with 149 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: you in talk education and certainly talk about that funding. 150 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: Thank you very much for having a chat with us 151 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: this morning. 152 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 2: Thanks it's Katie. 153 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: Thank you