Education revolution on track: Gillard

The education revolution is on track, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says,
despite claims by a member of her own party that it's a sham.
NSW Labor MP Julia Irwin told parliament on Tuesday the phrase "education
revolution" was a misnomer because the Rudd government was locking-in the
coalition's favouritism of private schools through its funding legislation.
"It seems to me that the national reform agenda has been put on hold for four years
and the real education revolution is a long, long way off," Ms Irwin said.
But Ms Gillard, who is also education minister, says Ms Irwin's criticism is wide of
the mark and Labor has invested millions in its computers-in-schools program and
early childhood education.
The government wanted to lift standards "in every Australian school", she said.
"The education revolution has already delivered to schools around the country," she
told reporters.
"It's had its achievement to date and funding agreements at the end of this year
will make a major difference to our schools."
She rejected Ms Irwin's claim that Labor had failed to redress the funding
"imbalance" between private and public schools, which saw commonwealth support to
public schools drop from 43 per cent to 35 per cent under the former coalition
government.
Ms Gillard said the figures Ms Irwin used were "not right".
She was backed by Labor frontbencher Kim Carr.
He says the figures, contained in an Australian Education Union (AEU) commissioned
report released in August, don't take account of Labor's $42 billion education
election commitment and spending under the national partnerships plan.
"I don't know how that came about but it does indicate the report is incomplete,"
Senator Carr told a Senate education estimates hearing.
The education department's national education system group manager, Carol Nicoll,
insisted there would be an increase in government funding for public schools
following the signing of the national education agreement at next month's COAG
meeting.
"The states and territories are well aware there will be increased investment in
public education by this government," Ms Nicoll said.
But the Australian Education Union says a small increase isn't enough.
Federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said Labor inherited a mess with respect to
schools funding but "it's now the responsibility, indeed the obligation, of the Rudd
government to redress that mess".
"The COAG process provides the opportunity for the Rudd government to deliver
massive increases to public schools," Mr Gavrielatos told reporters.
"Public schools are under-funded to the tune of $2.9 billion per year."
Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne says Ms Irwin's comments prove the
Rudd government is all spin and no substance.
"The education revolution is a news grab, a farce and a fraud, even Labor MPs
agree," Mr Pyne said in a statement.