Victorian premier pledges to lift school funding to meet Gonski standards

New Premier Ben Carroll of Victoria has pledged to fully fund public schools, aligning with the Gonski plan. Currently, Victoria is lagging in school funding, paying only 70% of the agreed School Resource Standard, while the Commonwealth contributes 20%. During the upcoming November 28 election, Victorian schools will receive a significant funding boost as Carroll aims to fulfill the state's obligations under the Gonski plan.

If Victoria increases its funding by 5%, Canberra will match the increase, meeting the Better and Fairer Schools agreement from the Gonski review of 2012. Carroll intends to complete full funding before the election and has discussed this with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. His priorities include delivering fair funding for public school students, as 30% of disadvantaged kids are in public schools, twice the rate for non-government schools.

He believes that funding public schools is the right thing to do, especially considering the long-term impact on the future of these students.