Policies
Parents
AN EDUCATION REVOLUTION
- Taking a fresh look at the age children start Kindy and school
- More funding for before-and-after-school care
- Refocusing on the state school system
- The end of gambling advertising
Policy Summary
The Good Party proposes a significant shift in Australia’s education system, advocating for children to begin kindergarten at age 3 and formal schooling at age 7.
For younger children, the play-based learning approach stimulates growing imaginations and provides early positive environments, particularly benefiting those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The older age for the commencement of formal schooling aims to smooth out developmental differences. The transition would occur in stages, allowing families time to adapt. These changes must be supported by increased funding for before-and-after-school childcare, enabling more parents to re-enter the workforce and offsetting the costs of the care to the economy.
Additionally, the Good Party calls for a rebalancing of federal funding between private and public schools, as the current funding model disproportionately supports private schools.
The Party also aims to protect children from the negative influence of gambling, pushing for a ban on gambling advertisements during televised sporting events, and addressing concerns about the normalisation of gambling in sports entertainment.
And in more detail...
The Good Party will work with the states to usher in a minor revolution in education, with children beginning kindergarten at age 3, and formal schooling commencing at age 7. Kindergarten will be all play-based, and having children start their formal schooling later will even out the bumps in maturity. We would see these changes happening in stages to give mums and dads time to get used to the idea. These changes would also benefit children from disadvantaged or dysfunctional homes, placing them in positive environments earlier.
Changes in the ages of schooling our children will have to be accompanied by funding the cost of additional before-school and after-school childcare
Additional funding for before-school and after-school care
Of course, changes in the ages of schooling our children will have to be accompanied by funding the cost of additional before-school and after-school childcare. The cost to the economy of paying the additional childcare would be offset by the stay-at-home parents freed up to re-enter the workforce, a now well-accepted fact.
Re-funding the state school system
Until recently, the federal government prioritised the funding of private schools over public schools.
The common misconception is that the parents who send their children to these private schools are wealthy and can well afford it. While that’s probably true for a percentage of parents, many mums and dads suffer considerable financial pain sending their kids to these schools but endure it because they don’t feel they have a choice if they want to provide their children with a quality education.
Government funding for private schools in Australia has increased at nearly five times the rate of public school funding over the past ten years…
Under the current school funding agreement struck in 2019, the commonwealth contributes 80% of the “Schooling Resource Standard” (SRS) for private schools, while state governments are responsible for the remaining 20%. The split is reversed for public schools.
The net effect of this SRS system is that, according to analysis, “Government funding for private schools in Australia has increased at nearly five times the rate of public-school funding over the past ten years…"
The Good Party believes the funding imbalance needs to be redressed with federal government reinvestment in the state school system. Parents who send their children to state schools shouldn’t feel that the education provided is somehow second-rate.
The end of gambling advertising
What parent today doesn't lament the number and prevalence of advertising normalising and promoting gambling while watching cricket or football games on television with their kids? The Good Party will strongly advocate for the end of gambling advertising, especially during sporting events.
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