Shadow education minister emphasises education as key battle line against Coalition, while Greens leader Adam Bandt calls for end to public school fees

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Labor will continue to make education funding a key point of difference to the Coalition, with a greater emphasis on the disparity between public and private schools’ spending on facilities, Tanya Plibersek has signalled.

In a speech delivered to the Australian Education Union on Friday, Plibersek warned both the government and internal critics arguing for lower social spending that “the fight for fair school funding is not over” and claimed that “visible inequality” in facilities suggests Australians care more about some children than others.

The union’s federal conference also heard from Adam Bandt, in his first major outing on education since he became Greens leader, who argued that public school fees of up to $5,000 should be abolished because the state system should be free.

In her speech, seen by Guardian Australia, Plibersek thanked the union for campaigning for Labor at the 2019 election, acknowledging that “unfortunately [Labor was not] given the opportunity to implement our vision – at least not yet”.

'We must cultivate the natural curiosity and capabilities of children': Alan Finkel's 2020s vision Read more

“But that doesn’t mean our principles have changed,” the shadow minister for education and training said. “It doesn’t mean our hunger to prosecute them has diminished.”

Labor’s pledge to deliver $14bn more over 10 years to public schools was one of its biggest points of difference with the Coalition at the last election, although internal critics of Labor’s policy agenda argue that big spending promises failed to translate into votes and pushed the opposition towards increasing tax.

Plibersek warned that her “hunger is as strong as it’s ever been” and that the ambition of all Australian schools reaching 100% of the schooling resource standard “should sit at the heart of education policy”.

“The government likes to say that it’s now committed to sector-blind, needs-based funding, or that its policies are neutral, or that it’s drained disagreement from the sector,” she said. “It’s just not true. None of it is.

“By 2023, under Coalition policy, almost all private schools will be funded at or above their full schooling resource standard – while almost all public schools will remain below it.”

Plibersek noted the “shocking” disparity in capital spending between public and private schools, with half of the $22bn spent on school capital improvements between 2013 and 2017 occurring in just 10% of schools.

“Some are adding an orchestra pit to their existing theatre space, or a new aquatic centre to their impressive sporting facilities,” she said, while public schools had an urgent demand for basics including new classrooms, toilet maintenance, leaking roofs, heating and cooling.

“There’s nothing superficial about these differences. They’re the tangible expression of a deeper truth: that we seem to care more about some schools than others. And by extension, that we seem to care about some kids more than others.”

Plibersek argued that “visible inequality” in facilities was a sign of the nation’s revealed preference. In the same way a country built “great temples and churches” to show it valued God, “when a country builds beautiful schools, it’s revealing that it values education”.

“I want Australia to be a nation that prioritises education – not just by paying teachers good salaries, but by building respect into the environment you work in every day.”

Plibersek said Anthony Albanese shared her “ambition for world-class Australian schools” and “understands the transformative power of education”.

Casual university staff struggle to cope as coronavirus travel ban locks out international students Read more

In his speech, Bandt rebadged the Greens’ policy of “genuinely free education” in public schools and TAFE as part of its proposed “Green New Deal”.

Although public education was free “in a broad sense”, over decades there had been “creeping cost-shift from the state, pushing [the cost] back onto parents”, Bandt said. Book packs, excursions, sports programs and music lessons were part of the extras charged to parents, who would often borrow rather than see their kids go without.

“All these little costs should be covered by the federal government that currently spends $12.6bn on private schools and just $8.3bn on public schools that teach two out of every three students.”

Bandt said the Greens would push to fund public schools to reach the schooling resource standard by 2023 and boost capital funding for school works to $400m a year.