GONSKI IS DELIVERING FOR ILLAWARRA AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS KIDS

24 March 2017

Member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones, and Member for Cunningham, Sharon Bird, have called on the Federal Government to stop playing politics with school funding, and honour their election promise to match Labor dollar for dollar in delivering Gonski to schools across Australia.

In response to the launch of version two of the Gonski Getting Results in Hayes Park Public School in Dapto today, Stephen Jones said Gonski was already delivering for schools in the region.

Local schools are flourishing with the injection of additional needs based funding, said Mr Jones.

Hayes Park Public School is a brilliant example of what additional funding can do for kids.

Theyve received over $500,000 to date, which is helping to improve literacy, staff development, technology use and support greater individual learning for students.

Education is the corner stone of a bright future, and Im calling on Malcolm Turnbull to deliver for students in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands.

Sharon Bird said anything short of the full Gonski model was robbing local kids of lifelong opportunities.

We have seen some fantastic outcomes locally from Gonski funding. At Keira High School, every Aboriginal student has a teacher mentor and access to the AIME program and they have been delivering Aboriginal studies to every year 7 and 8 student. Keira HS is also able to deliver a Stage 6 Aboriginal studies course to students at Keira HS as well as students from other schools.

At Woonona High School they have reduced class sizes and increased curriculum choices and increased the number of students who now have the confidence and ability to attend university. In 2012 only 15 per cent of Woonona High HSC students went on to study at university that number rose to 55 per cent in 2016.

These are real results for our local students which clearly demonstrate why the Liberal party needs to put their money where their mouth is and honour their election promise to deliver Gonski funding, Sharon Bird said.