Wednesday, 13 August 2025

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:52): (1732) My question is to the Minister for Education. At the Monash Children’s Hospital School in my electorate – a government school servicing young people from across Victoria – staff who are also Australian Education Union members have contacted me to express deep concern about the government’s decision to delay delivery of Victoria’s full share of public school funding until 2031. The school’s AEU members say that this breaks a clear promise, cuts billions from education and undermines the learning opportunities of children in their care. They note that Victoria’s public schools remain the lowest funded in the country, and our teachers are the lowest paid. They believe that delivering 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard now is vital to address staffing shortages, improve pay and ensure all students receive the support they need. Minister, when will the government reverse its disastrous decision to delay this funding and deliver full and fair funding for Victoria’s public schools?