I give a Gonski

There was a lot to talk about this morning, after yesterday’s demolition of the former prime minister Tony Abbott and his replacement by Malcolm Turnbull. But Vintage Reds managed nonetheless to pay attention to a very good presentation by Kelly Bowman from the Teachers’ Federation, on the Gonski campaign now ramping up, “I give a Gonski”. Kelly is a teacher at Karabar High School in Queanbeyan.

The Abbott government’s back-down on funding for the last two years of the six-year Gonski funding model will cost schools in NSW alone over a billion dollars, of which over $900 million was to flow to state schools. Gonski aims to lift students out of educational disadvantage, whether they are students from low-income families or from rural and remote areas, students with a disability, Aboriginal students, or those from non-English speaking backgrounds. “It’s what Australians call a fair go”.

The goal is for 80% of students to achieve the national minimum standard in reading and numeracy as measured by NAPLAN testing for their age level. Australia has in fact gone backwards over the last decade, in a range of areas of educational achievement.

The campaign is non-party political.

The Gonski report translated into action is a perfect example of how we should be investing in the country’s children and their future.

Want to know more? Check out the very neat animated cartoon on Youtube, only a minute and a half: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xylDiOl7RGI. (Photo above is a still from the animation.)