The ‘I Give a Gonski’ campaign aims to build support for the recommendations of the 2011 Review of Funding for Schooling, also known as the Gonski Report. Chaired by businessman and philanthropist David Gonski, the review recommended that Australia’s position in global education rankings would improve if schools were funded according to students’ needs. The Report said each school should receive a base level of Commonwealth and state funding, plus extra funding to take into account the school’s size and location and whether students are from disadvantaged backgrounds or have a disability. The Report suggested that most of the funding be given to government schools, where the number and concentration of disadvantaged students is greater. This funding model would require an additional $5 billion a year, based on 2009 funding levels.

In response to the Report, the Gillard government created a new national schools funding system. It also negotiated six-year funding agreements with NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. However, the subsequent Abbott government announced it would provide funding for four years: $1.2 billion less than was agreed upon in 2013 for NSW schools alone. The Abbott government said it would also change to lower funding increases based on inflation, with more funding being contributed by state governments.

The donor of this badge, Hannah Middleton, writes:

Although I had some reservations about the Gonski plan for education, I supported the campaign to get his recommendations implemented as a step forward. It was a joy to have [my] husband, his sister and her husband—all teachers—with us on protests, especially as my parents and two brothers were/are also teachers.