Labor candidate for New England and primary school teacher Laura Hughes has welcomed the landmark agreement between the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments to fully and fairly fund New South Wales public schools.
This historic deal will deliver an additional $4.8 billion over the next decade, increasing the Commonwealth’s contribution to 25% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2034, with New South Wales reaching 75% by 2025.
“As a teacher, I know firsthand how much this funding will mean for our schools, educators, and most importantly, our students,” Ms Hughes said.
“This agreement ensures that every child in New South Wales, no matter where they live, can receive the high-quality education they deserve.”
The funding is tied to key reforms aimed at lifting student outcomes, including Year 1 phonics and early numeracy checks to support early intervention, small group tutoring to help students who need extra assistance, and stronger mental health and wellbeing support in schools.
“This isn’t just about funding – it’s about ensuring that money is used where it makes the biggest difference,” Ms Hughes said.
“By investing in early intervention, mental health, and teacher support, we’re giving every student the best chance to succeed.”
Ms Hughes also highlighted the importance of this agreement for the New England region.
“Our local schools will benefit enormously from this funding. It means more resources, better teacher support, and stronger outcomes for students,” she said.
“As a proud teacher and member of this community, I will always fight to ensure our schools get their fair share.”
The agreement is designed to address key challenges in the education system, including teacher shortages and student achievement gaps. New South Wales Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car emphasised that the funding would support ambitious targets set for public education in the state.
“Our commitment to rebuilding public education will now be underpinned by an agreement that delivers full funding for public schools,” Ms Car said. “With teacher vacancies now down 40 per cent and the number of cancelled classes halved, we are delivering tangible results.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underscored the importance of investing in education, describing it as essential for Australia’s future.
“Building Australia’s future means investing in the next generation,” Mr Albanese said.
“We know that education opens the doors of opportunity, and we want to widen them for every child in Australia.”
The agreement includes national targets focused on improving student attendance, increasing NAPLAN proficiency in reading and numeracy, and ensuring more students complete Year 12. Funding will be linked to reforms that have been proven to improve educational outcomes.
Minister for Education Jason Clare stressed that this was not a blank cheque but a commitment to real reforms that deliver results.
“This will help more than 780,000 kids in more than 2,200 public schools,” Mr Clare said.
“This is real funding tied to real reforms to help students catch up, keep up, and finish school.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said that public education is the best investment a government can make.
“Every single child in Australia has the right to a quality, free public education, and we are proud to work with the Albanese Labor Government to ensure New South Wales schools are fully funded,” Mr Minns said.
Ms Hughes urged all levels of government to continue working together to secure the best future for Australian students.
“This agreement is a step in the right direction, but there is always more work to be done,” she said.
“I will keep advocating for better support for our teachers, better resources for our schools, and better opportunities for our students.”
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