Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

School funding
Supporting our Schools‟ Support Staff
Labour values the enormous contribution made by school support staff. School support staff
make up one-third of the education workforce. However, their employment is funded by
school operating grants used to fund a range of other school expenses. This means the
services they provide are vulnerable to cost and funding pressures from Government and
within communities.
Labour will work with the sector on the viability of centrally-funding the salaries of
school support staff from the current operational grant funding.
Supporting Quality Education
Research shows that the most direct driver of quality education is the interaction between
teacher and student. It is clear that this is the best way to improve educational outcomes
from our world-class education system.
Labour will work with the education sector to identify affordable ways to improve the
quality of teacher/student interactions. These discussions will include professional
development, workload and class size.
Quarterly Funding
From 2011, operational funding for students in years 9 to 13, in all state and state-integrated
schools, was allocated using quarterly roll counts. Schools affected by this policy will no
longer be funded for secondary students on an annual entitlement based on a peak roll.
Instead, these schools will receive four funding entitlements for the year based on four
separate rolls.
This change is hurting secondary schools as all their costs are fixed at the start of the year.
If funding is cut later in the year because some students leave school, then the remaining
students suffer. Labour is concerned that these changes will place greater pressure on
parents to make up the difference, at a time when the cost of living is already skyrocketing.
Labour will review the impact of quarterly funding combined with other recent funding
changes for schools such as Trades Academies.
School buildings
The quality of our teachers, along with access to technology and classroom materials, are
the essential factors in providing our children with a world-class education. But we must also
make sure that school buildings meet the needs of our teachers and students.
Despite the financially difficult times, it is essential that schools are well-maintained and that
there are sufficient schools to meet population growth. School rolls are expected to increase
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