Labor has again rejected criticism of its Gonski school funding reforms by the Catholic school sector, saying that the proposal would not limit the autonomy of the major education provider.
The Catholic education body has fiercely attacked the Gonski plan and called for the legislation to be amended, to rule out federal interference in its schools. But the government said the concerns of the Catholic sector had already been taken into account in legislative amendments.
The growing conflict with the Catholic sector comes about as Education Minister Peter Garrett also criticised the Victorian Government saying that the Victorian Government were playing “sectoral” politics, and rejected State Education Minister Martin Dixon’s push for government, Catholic and Independent schools in Victoria to start negotiations afresh.
So far only the NSW and ACT Governments have signed up for the Gonski funding reforms, with WA, NT and Queensland unlikely to agree.