By RUSSELL BENNETT
IT’S clear the ABCs of improving education funding are not as easy as 1-2-3, following a La Trobe candidates’ forum at Emerald Secondary College late last week.
A lack of any real focus on local issues marred the forum, as a number of candidates from the minor parties continually referred to rehearsed, pre-prepared answers in an unconvincing display.
While Liberal candidate, and former sitting member, Jason Wood was a notable absentee, five other candidates for the seat put forward their views on the national education landscape to a group of local residents.
La Trobe MP Laura Smyth was joined by Michael Schilling of the Greens, Dr Rachel Jenkins of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), the Sex Party’s Martin Leahy, and Palmer United Party’s Jason Kennedy.
Emerald Secondary College principal Wayne Burgess moderated the forum, which saw candidates open up about a range of contentious topics including university and TAFE funding cuts.
Ms Smyth said the Labor Government had “almost doubled” its schools funding investment to around $65 billion – including committing $110 million in the La Trobe electorate to boost capital works for schools.
She said Labor would commit to funding four trade training centres, with equine industry skills boosted at a specialist Clyde North school.
Ms Smyth said the Better Schools Plan would maintain the high quality of schools in the local area.
As one Emerald Secondary College parent asked about the potential for more special needs funding, Ms Smyth acknowledged talking to Mr Burgess on the issue.
“We will definitely advocate for more funding, but we can’t guarantee it,” she said.
Michael Schilling from the Greens said the party, generally, was opposed to funding cuts, adding: “The Greens believe every Australian student should have access to top-class education”.
Mr Schilling said his party would support increased funding for disadvantaged students, and that it would restore $2.3 billion in funding cuts and make sure TAFE was affordable for every Australian citizen.
Rachel Jenkins has a doctorate of Philosophy in the area of social welfare and has a son in Year 11 with Asperger’s Syndrome. She said a minor voice (such as the Democratic Labour Party) was needed “to bring balance and reason to the education debate”.
The DLP’s education funding policy would see contentious ’per capita vouchers’ introduced to give parents the choice of which type of education they would provide their children.
Under the Sex Party’s policy, a national sex education curriculum would be introduced, parents and students alike would be taught safe internet use, school chaplains would be replaced with qualified counsellors, and religious education in schools would be replaced with ’religious ethics’.
Jason Kennedy, the host of television program “Fishin’ Trip”, said he was “a patriot first, and a fisherman second”.
He said education and health were the Palmer United Party’s two biggest focuses, and that it would pledge a $20 billion national education boost.
Another candidates’ forum will be held by the Australian Christian Lobby in Beaconsfield on 3 September.
