The Australian Education Union has called on the federal government to include an emergency $175 million ''equity package'' in this year's budget to pay for national literacy and numeracy programs due to expire on June 30.

In its pre-budget submission, the union urged the government to introduce the interim package to stop the programs, which target the most vulnerable students in 1100 schools, disappearing.

Recommended more school funding ... David Gonski. Credit:Claire Martin

Seventy per cent of those are public schools, which educate the lion's share of disabled, disadvantaged and low socio-economic status students.

The $540 million National Partnership payments for literacy and numeracy programs were launched at the 2008-09 budget, with the aim of improving literacy and numeracy results for all students, particularly low-income and Aboriginal children.