Labor left its signature policy 'in a complete shambles', says education minister, promising fundamental change
The Abbott government insists billions of dollars in promised schools funding is not at risk despite signalling a revamp of Labor's model.
The Coalition pledged to honour for four years funding agreements negotiated by the Gillard and Rudd governments before the election.
But the education minister, Christopher Pyne, says that doesn't mean the government is committed to the same implementation model.
Only four of the 10 jurisdictions had signed up to Labor's so-called Gonski plan. "Labor has left it in a complete shambles," he told Sky News.
"Tragically, I have to go back to the drawing board essentially and try and create a funding model that can be implemented."
The $2.8bn in funding was not at risk, Pyne said.
The Labor frontbencher Bernie Ripoll questioned the government's commitment to school funding reforms, warning a revamp would create uncertainty for schools as they head into a new year.
"Schools won't know what's in front of them, they won't know where the funding [is coming from] or how much the funding is," he told Sky News.
There was "no way possible" Pyne could create a new system between now and the start of the new school year.
The parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo said Labor had not even been able to sign a legal funding agreement with the Catholic schools system, despite claiming it had done so before the election.
"Labor were all big on announcements but they were very poor when it came to implementation," he said.
The opposition education spokeswoman, Kate Ellis, said the Coalition was walking away from the school funding reforms.
"They have created an absolute mess here," she told Sky News.
Ellis rejected government suggestions there were no binding agreements with Victoria, Tasmania and the Catholic schools sector.
"Christopher Pyne is talking absolute nonsense and we should not accept that nonsense. "We should not accept those excuses and we should not accept those weasel words."
But the National Catholic Education Commission executive director, Ross Fox, told the Australian a legal agreement still needed to be signed.
While the commission backed some "very good things" about the Labor model, it did welcome the opportunity to streamline some of the reporting features.
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