'Oppn threatening funding', Gillard warns schools
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Letters to the educator...Julia Gillard says the schools will receive a letter via email. (AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)
The Federal Government has written to every independent school in the country warning them their funding is under threat because of the Opposition's actions in the Senate.
The Government's $28 billion Schools Assistance funding bill requires schools to agree to a national curriculum, which is yet to be finalised.
The Opposition and Family First have rejected that provision in the Senate, blocking passage of the bill, but the Government is refusing to change it.
The bill is expected to go back to the Senate today, and Education Minister Julia Gillard says she is letting schools know their funding is being put at risk by the Opposition.
"That will be received by email in the coming period of the next few hours," she said.
"That letter from me to the school communities around the country, non-government schools, says, in part, 'unfortunately the Senate has not passed the bill.'"
"If non-government schools don't get these funds because of Liberal obstruction and non-government schools can't open at the end of January next year, if they are standing down teachers, if they are turning students away, if there is educational chaos, then that will be on the head of the leader of the Liberal Party and the Liberal Party generally."
Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne says many independent schools are supporting his party's actions.
"The Minister for Education asserted that the Opposition had no support for its position on the Schools Assistance Bill, quite the opposite," he said.
"And I seek leave to table only a small selection of the emails and letters that I've had supporting the stance of the opposition, from schools like St Michael's Grammar School [and] Fitzroy Community School."
Earlier this morning, the Independent Schools Council of Australia and the National Catholic Education Commission called on the Opposition to pass the bill.
But Mr Pyne said the money can be approved without the inclusion of the national curriculum measures.
"There is no reason at all why the national curriculum has to be part of this funding bill," he said.
"It is the new Labor way of course to link all things together parts that the Opposition doesn't wish to support with parts that it does.
"We don't have to play the Government's game and I don't intend to."
Mr Pyne said Opposition senators will put forward an amendment that allows schools to implement an accredited equivalent to the measures already in the bill.
"We are prepared to come halfway to the Government and compromise in order to ensure that money flows to non-government schools on January 1," he said.
The bill has gone back to the Senate for a second debate.
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