ELLE Gillard can only imagine what $5.8 million of Gonski reform funding would do for Melton Specialist School.
The school council president says the money would help secure specialist teachers for its 200 disabled students, including speech therapists and physiotherapists.
It would also help fund a new bus to take students on excursions.
The school is one of many in Melton and Moorabool that the federal government says is in line to receive a major funding boost if the state government commits to the reforms by Sunday’s deadline.
But state Education Minister Martin Dixon has labelled the reforms “flawed”, claiming federal figures show 249 Victorian schools would be worse off.
“Commonwealth figures show that, compared to the current arrangements, hundreds of schools will lose out under the proposed funding reforms, which means we can’t sign on,’’ Mr Dixon said.
Gorton MP Brendan O’Connor maintained every school would benefit from the government’s ‘national plan for school improvement’ if the state signed up by the deadline.
“This is a once-in-a-generation chance to ensure our students, class- rooms and teachers are resourced properly for the future.”
Schools in Melton and Moorabool are set to gain millions, according to the federal government’s projections.
Staughton College tops the list, receiving almost $6 million in extra funding between 2014 and 2019.
In Moorabool, Bacchus Marsh College would receive $11 million in 2014 and $14.9 million in 2019.
Coburn Primary School teacher Emma Shadwick said extra funding would go a long way as the school would get an extra $6.3 million next year under the reforms.
“The Gonski review is about additional resources for all students, with some schools receiving an additional 42 per cent in funding, which is approximately $24.1 million extra for Melton City schools.
‘‘It’s a huge injection of funding for our public schools.
“If current funding allocations continue or are only allocated under current funding agreements, there will be increasing gaps in the system.”
