The O'Farrell Government's Dismantling of NSW Public Education: Part 2

This week I outline the major cuts stemming from the policy position of the O'Farrell Government I outlined last week. On September 11 2012 the O'Farrell Government announced a $1.6 billion budget cut to NSW public schools and TAFEs and the abolition of 1800 teaching and non-teaching positions. These cuts are the most severe in a generation and will affect the quality of education provided by schools and TAFE.

Barry O'Farrell has claimed that the $1.6 billion in cuts to public schools is necessary to maintain the state's credit rating. This is despite $1.8 billion in public funding being announced for the WestConnex Motorway. At least $8.5 billion in public funding has been announced for by Barry O'Farrell for transport projects. The reality is that the purpose of the school budget cuts was to prioritise roads over schools. The budgetary credentials of the O'Farrell Government are questionable when the state Auditor-General discovered a $1 billion accounting error leading to a $680 million government surplus.

Australia has one of the lowest taxation levels in the OECD and a below average investment in education whilst being one of its fastest growing economies. The proportion of the NSW state budget spent on education has shrunk from 28.4% in 1989-90 to 22.4% currently. Clearly, instead of cutting school budgets, the O'Farrell Government should be increasing them.

As part of the September 11 2012 school budget cuts, the O'Farrell Government announced 400 job cuts from school regional offices and 800 job cuts from TAFE. This was on top of the previously announced 200 jobs cut from the NSWDEC state office and 400 school administrative job cuts. In an email to all teachers the Director-General of Education Dr Michele Bruniges admitted that as a result of the budget cuts student learning outcomes would be affected in schools and TAFE. In the Sydney Morning Herald Adiran Piccoli acknowledged that the cuts to school curriculum support would mean public schools would miss out on the support they needed to implement the National Curriculum. 

The cuts to TAFE have led to the abolition of courses and increases in fees in the arts, technical, trade and HSC equivalent courses. The cuts to school regional offices have led to losses in equity programs, Aboriginal Education, literacy, numeracy, and student welfare programs.

It is critical that the community makes it clear to the O'Farrell Government that these cuts to public schools are unacceptable. One simple action is to send an email to the O'Farrell Government.