PPTA: Education budget a timid sprinkling of coins

<h4 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Secondary teachers who were hopeful for an education budget that looked to and planned for the future&comma; for children and for teachers were disappointed by the Budget&comma; says PPTA president Jack Boyle&period;<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What we have instead is a timid sprinkling of initiatives that don’t even keep up with inflation&period; When schools aren’t funded to provide the education kids need&comma; it’s the parents and school communities who end up having to pay for things that the school should pay for&comma; like uniforms&comma; school trips&comma; stationery and more&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Education is the intervention that makes the single biggest difference in people’s lives&period; Failing to provide the tools and resources needed to make that an equitable reality for every child is a sad failing&comma;” says Mr Boyle&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What we are grateful for is that most schools’ funding is guaranteed by a staffing formula&comma; so at worst&comma; that will provide qualified teachers in front of students – although recruiting them and retaining them is another matter&period; What’s not so great is that most education funding is completely at the whim of the government of the day&semi; and we see no evidence of long term planning at all&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;