The Federal Coalition has confirmed it will keep the Government's Better Schools plan in place for the 2014 school year if it is elected.

The Coalition had been promising to repeal the legislation and reinstate the existing funding model if the majority of states and territories had not signed up to the so-called Gonski reforms.

But today Opposition Leader Tony Abbott backed away from that position.

"We are not going to add to the uncertainty, we're not going to undo done deals at the start of next year," Mr Abbott said.

In a letter sent to school principals last week, Mr Abbott and his education spokesman Christopher Pyne said a Coalition government would seek to delay the Government's new funding model by one year if all jurisdictions had not signed up.

"If Labor and the Greens use the Parliament to stop our plan to delay the new model, the Coalition will allow it to operate for one year (until 2015) while we work out how to get the model right," the letter said.

But Mr Abbott gave no such qualification when he spoke to reporters in Launceston this morning.

"We will continue to work constructively with the states to come up with arrangements which genuinely do improve our schools and which are affordable for the long term, but arrangements that have been put in place for the start of next year are not going to be disturbed by the Coalition," he said.

The Federal Government has struck deals with New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania on the Gonski funding package.

It is now focusing its attention on negotiations with the Victorian Government and is hopeful of reaching an agreement by the end of today.

Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia are also yet to sign up.

The Catholic and independent school sectors have endorsed the plan, which is based on a report by businessman David Gonski.

Mr Abbott has indicated the Gonski report will form the basis of the Coalition's plan.

In his letter to principals, Mr Abbott said he would use next year "to consider how properly to implement the recommendations from the Gonski report in a lasting way".

But he said the Coalition's approach would not be limited to debates about funding and money.

"Our focus will also be on policies to help boost the performance of teachers in the classroom, while giving principals and schools the opportunity to have greater autonomy and more parental engagement," he said.