With the new school year under way all things educational are a focus and marked clearly on the 2016 blackboard is the question of Gonski school funding commitments.
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The Gonski funding model was introduced by the last federal Labor government. The first Abbott government budget wound back the cash commitment for 2018 and 2019 - the last two years of the plan.
The NSW Teachers Federation says that would cost schools in the Parkes electorate tens of millions of dollars. Examples were: Dubbo College would miss out on $1.5 million, Orana Heights Public $1 million and Dubbo West Public $860,000.
Those are significant sums for local schools and would greatly improve education standards for the children.
Gonski was the result of a national in-depth study of the needs of schools and children.
At the start of an election year, federal Labor has committed to the funding. The Coalition government plans to negotiate a new needs-based funding deal with the states.
Why it is necessary to revisit a needs-based model with a new needs-based deal has not been explained.
The Teachers Federation naturally backs Gonski and says schools funding has "constantly been a political football between major parties".
A valid point.
Budgets, federal and state turf wars, clashing ideologies and politics all too often become more important than a right and good solution.
The money should be found. It's not about political combat or winning. It's about the future of the children.
