News / Federal Election
Final candidates’ forum puts schools and students at centre of election
Strong backing for a performing arts centre at Coburg High
Poppy Searle
EDUCATION took centre stage at the last of the Willis election forums in Coburg on Tuesday as four progressive candidates debated how best to address government schools underfunding, inequality, and the broader role of public education in Australia.
The candidate forum was organised by Coburg High School, a government funded co-educational school with 1200 students that has grown rapidly since opening in 2015, and one of the issues raised was the school’s quest to transform its old gymnasium into a performing arts centre.
It was the final opportunity for voters to hear from candidates ahead of the election on May 3 and follows previous forums, including one that focused on international aid and another on asylum seekers and refugees.
About 110 people attended the forum at the Coburg Uniting Church hall to hear from Labor MP Peter Khalil, the Greens’ Samantha Ratnam, Socialist Alliance’s Sue Bolton, and Fusion Party’s Owen Miller. Liberal candidate, Jeff Kidney was invited but reportedly could not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
Khalil, who is facing a tough battle for re-election, emphasised his track record of securing funding for schools across his electorate, and building building Coburg High’s performing arts centre was something he was keen to accomplish.
“I’m a very big advocate,” he said. “I’ve already started the work, and if I am re-elected, your arts centre is going to be one of my main priorities.”
Bolton and Ratnam also praised the plan.
Ratnam said while it was wonderful to see Coburg High “really burgeon their artistic and performance capability of their students” but a prerequisite for the arts centre to be built was that the school’s master plan had to be fully funded.
A big topic of the night was the 2012 report chaired by David Gonski which recommended increasing funding in all school sectors by $5 billion per year and redirect payments from overfunded (private schools) into a needs-based-model.
The Gonski report recommends a Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). The SRS would determine the required funding needed for each school with a base rate of funding per student with additional loading for disadvantage factors. However 13 years later the minimum requirements have not been met and Victorianpublic schools receive only 84.6% of the SRS.
Khalil highlighted the ALP’s recent $2.5 billion for public schools in Victoria to fulfil Gonski recommendations and funding reforms.
“Our commitment is real and measurable,” he said. “Forty-seven schools in my electorate have received federal funding for upgrades, mental health support, or both.”
However, Khalil acknowledged that full implementation of the SRS would not be complete until 2034. When pressed by parents and students on the long timeline and conditions attached to funding, Khalil reiterated that the roll-out was part of agreements with the states and intended to ensure long-term impact.
Ratnam criticised both major parties, arguing that public school students “can’t wait another ten years” for full funding.
“Under Labor’s watch our public schools in Wills are underfunded by $30 million a year,” Ratnam said. “Coburg High alone should be getting an additional $2 million more each year.”
The Greens have proposed immediate full funding of all public schools and committed to abolishing HECS debt for future students which would be funded by taxing large corporations and scrapping the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
Bolton called for the full reversal of privatisation in essential services – including childcare and education – and an aggressive build-out of public housing.
“Public education should be free from cradle to grave, from childcare through to education of seniors,” Bolton said. “But in addition to that, we perhaps have to abolish the HECS debt.”
Bolton also criticised the current model of disability and mental health support in schools, citing bureaucratic barriers and waitlists as failures of the current system.
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Fusion candidate Owen Miller linked the decline in school funding to what he described as Australia’s waning ambition.
“Australia has a very educated population and yet we’re low on research and development spending,” he said. “We’re only spending 1.7%. Did Australians just stop thinking, or did we just stop betting on ourselves?”
Miller also advocated for smaller class sizes, transparency in education outcomes, and a universal basic income to support not only students, but also artists and creators.
Continuing the education focus, a student asked how candidates would help those interested in humanities afford university amid rising costs and soaring HECS debts.
Khalil highlighted the ALP’s record of reducing HECS for millions and promised further cuts of 20% if re-elected. However, he offered little detail on reversing fee increases for humanities courses.
Bolton called for the complete abolition of HECS and a return to fully free tertiary education, arguing that education is a public good and should be funded accordingly.
Miller expressed concern about rising fees but warned against blanket free education, claiming that universities may offer courses that are a “waste of time”.
Ratnam pushed for the cancellation of student debt and free university access. She criticised both major parties for neglecting humanities students and failing to deliver meaningful reform.
This was the final opportunity for candidates to face off before the election on 3 May.
Pre-polling began on Tuesday and by the close of Wednesday, 5442 people in Wills had voted, representing about 4.4% of enrolled voters.