WHEN the Victorian Coalition was elected to government in November 2010, we inherited a school system which the Brumby Labor government had managed into decay (including) a
$300 million maintenance bill.
In last year’s budget the Coalition Government provided $1 billion in new funding for education over the next four years. Year on year, the education budget grew three per cent. We provided an extra $100 million for school maintenance and more than $200 million in this budget alone to build new schools and upgrade existing ones.
This included the single largest capital investment in special and autistic schools in the past decade.
But like all portfolios, education was required to make some efficiencies in non-frontline areas to address years of Labor outspending the Victorian budget.
A reduction of some
$4.1 billion in GST revenue from the Commonwealth Government meant hard choices had to be made across government.
But the education budget has kept growing to ensure all young Victorians have the best chance to reach their potential.
Martin Dixon,
Minister for Education
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