ACT Election letter from Director of Catholic Education
To: Parents and Carers of Students in Catholic Schools
Re: ACT Election
Dear Parents and Carers
In the lead up to the 2020 ACT Election, the Catholic Education Commission of Canberra and Goulburn endorsed three policy priorities for all parties to consider related to:
- Equitable School Funding
- Fund Catholic schools at 25% of the per-student cost of education in an ACT Government school.
- Land Release and Planning
- Make land available for new Catholic schools.
- Improve planning policies to include new Catholic schools.
- Support for Catholic Early Learning Centres
- Provide financial support to Catholic Education Early Learning Centres to support equitable access and construction of new centres.
Our priorities are designed to ease cost-of-living pressures of families, ensure that Catholic schools can continue to be affordable and accessible, and serve the needs of families.
Catholic school communities have been advocating for these priorities over the past six months, hosting visits from the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, Opposition Leader, Alistair Coe, and every MLA who is contesting the 2020 ACT Election. We have also provided detailed education policy briefings to both ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals, and met with the Greens.
Recently, Alistair Coe and the Canberra Liberals committed to supporting our funding and land release policy priorities. The Liberals plan supports families, while also committing to a review of the curriculum in the ACT. You can find information regarding the Canberra Liberals education policy commitments here.
ACT Labor has decided not to support the most important of our policy requests. Continuing with a policy of cutting school funding will inevitably put upward pressure on school fees. Labor has committed to continue capital improvement grants to non-government schools, and announced equity grants to support disadvantaged families. You can find information regarding ACT Labor’s policy commitments here.
Similar to Labor, the Greens are not supporting our funding commitment but support the proposed land release for non-government schools. The Greens have stated their priorities as providing ‘nature-based’ play spaces for older schools, sustainability upgrades, and infrastructure available to all schools.
It would assist Catholic schools if you could encourage all candidates in your electorate to adopt the policy priorities of Catholic Education. I have attached both a fact sheet and education report and that may be useful for any conversations you have with candidates.
Together, we can ensure that supporting your children and Catholic schools is a priority for the next ACT Government.
Good wishes
Ross Fox
DIRECTOR
