22nd Jun 2017, 6:30 PM – Senate Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017 - in Committee - Transition period

The majority voted in favour of amendments introduced by South Australian Senator Simon Birmingham (Liberal), which means they passed and will now be included in the bill.

Senator Birmingham explained that:

The amendments I have just moved, which are now before the chamber, will accelerate the transition period that the government has proposed for all of those schools and systems who are below the 20 per cent and 80 per cent shares. It will not have any impact on those systems or independent authorities who are above the 20 per cent or 80 per cent shares. It will ensure, though, that those who are below that will transition to that common share of 20 per cent and 80 per cent over the next six years. By 2023, we will have every government school system in the country being treated equally, fairly, by the Commonwealth government according to the Gonski formula. By 2023, we will see all of those underfunded, non-government schools and systems treated equally and fairly and transition to a common formula of the Gonski funding.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (line 9), after "year", insert "for the school".

(2) Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 10), after item 1, insert:

1A Section 6

Insert:

6 -year transitioning school means a transitioning school whose starting Commonwealth share is less than its final Commonwealth share.

(3) Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 10), before item 2, insert:

1B Section 6

Insert:

final Commonwealth share has the meaning given by subsection 35B(6).

(4) Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 23), after item 5, insert:

5A Section 6

Insert:

starting Commonwealth share has the meaning given by subsection 35B(2).

(5) Schedule 1, item 6, page 4 (line 4), omit the definition of transition year, substitute:

transition year means:

(a) for a school other than a 6-year transitioning school—a year from 2018 to 2027 (inclusive); or

(b) for a 6-year transitioning school—a year from 2018 to 2023 (inclusive).

(6) Schedule 1, item 16, page 6 (line 24), after "year", insert "for the school".

(7) Schedule 1, item 16, page 8 (line 9), after "transition rate", insert "for a school other than a 6-year transitioning school".

(8) Schedule 1, item 16, page 8 (after line 12), after subsection 35B(7), insert:

(7A) Unless the regulations otherwise provide, the transition rate for a 6-year transitioning school:

(a) for the transition year 2018 is 16.67%; and

(b) for each transition year from 2019 to 2022 (inclusive) is the transition rate for the previous year increased by 16.67 percentage points; and

(c) for the transition year 2023 is 100%.

(9) Schedule 1, item 16, page 8 (line 13), after "transition year", insert "for a school".

(10) Schedule 1, item 16, page 8 (line 16), after "subsection (7)", insert "or (7A)".

(11) Schedule 1, item 40, page 13 (line 1), omit "transition year", substitute "year from 2018 to 2027 (inclusive)".

(12) Schedule 1, item 47, page 17 (line 21), omit "10 transition", substitute "6 to 10".

(13) Schedule 1, item 47, page 17 (line 29), omit "transition", substitute "6 to 10".

(14) Schedule 1, item 71, page 22 (line 6), omit "10 transition", substitute "6 to 10".

(15) Schedule 1, item 82, page 24 (line 26), omit "transition years", substitute "the years 2018 to 2027".