Labor’s State Budget has slashed $47.3 million from student welfare and support.
Despite renewing funding for the school asbestos removal program for two years, this funding falls far short of Labor’s 2014 election commitment to rid all schools of asbestos by 2020.
Other programs including Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund, Music in Schools, Swimming in Schools, Glasses for Kids and the Affordable School Uniform funding have also been left at risk having only received budget funding for just one year.
Many of these programs are relatively low cost to the State Government which begs the question why Daniel Andrews couldn’t be bothered funding them properly in this budget.
For example, the Glasses for Kids program is less than $1 million over four years yet Daniel Andrews did not provide the program funding certainty.
It is galling that Daniel Andrews wasted over $1 million of taxpayers’ money campaigning for Bill Shorten but can’t find another $1 million to provide reading glasses for children from vulnerable families.
Victorian parents and school children deserve better.
Cindy McLeish MP
Shadow Minister for Education