David Gonski has urged the Abbott government to reverse its decision to scrap the school funding reforms associated with his name, claiming "the concept of aspiration ends in 2017".
The Coalition's first budget put a bullet in the final two years of the so-called Gonski agreement, with a move to lower, inflation-based funding increases.
In his first public comments on education since the Coalition took government, Mr Gonski savaged the quality of advice offered by Prime Minister Tony Abbott's hand-picked Commission of Audit, which informed the education cuts in the budget.
"My biggest regret with the views of commission is their suggestion that the funding of 2018 should be based on 2017 funding indexed [to] changes in the CPI and the relevant wage price index," he told an audience at Melbourne University on Wednesday night.
"So the concept of aspiration - or indeed their concept of efficiency - ends in 2017 and from then on funding increases by indexes not specifically related to changes in costs in education.
"I sincerely hope that in the period between now and 2017 the federal government will change the presently budgeted position."
The federal government's move to put the onus for education and health funding back on the states has led to an insurrection by state premiers against Canberra.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne boasted of $5.7 billion in new money over four years on budget night, but NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, who was the first to sign up to Gonski, said it was a "breach of faith with all school students in the state" and has vowed to fight for the reinstatement of the six-year agreement.
Mr Gonski, who chaired Labor's landmark review into education funding, said he was "disappointed with the general commentary" the Commission of Audit provided to Mr Pyne.
The commission highlighted how increased funding over the past 12 years coincided with Australia's slide in the international education rankings, which Mr Gonski conceded was true.
But the Gonski review concluded the previous funding model was flawed.
"It is their view that increased funding does not necessarily equate to better school outcomes," he said. "The monies distributed over the 12-year period to which the commission refers were not applied on a needs-based aspirational system. Any effects of our review only start this year - i.e. 2014."
Giving the Jean Blackburn Oration, in honour of the educationalist who helped steer the last major review of education funding four decades ago, Mr Gonski said his single biggest regret was putting a dollar figure on proposed reforms.
The review told governments they would need to find an extra $5 billion, based on 2009 funding levels.
"In retrospect, the decision to mention the number clouded the entire response to our review," he said.
The discussion about more money eclipsed the review's central tenets, he said.
"We wanted a transparent method for determining funding which was based on aspirational educational outcomes rather than last year's costs."
Independent Schools Council of Australia acting executive director Barry Wallett has previously said he was satisfied with funding levels until the end of 2017. But setting indexation at CPI was "problematic" and would lead to a "real reduction" in funding levels, he said.
National Catholic Education Commission executive director Ross Fox has also expressed concern about the government's plan to use the CPI to determine school funding. He said education funding must keep up with “real school costs”.
Mr Gonski said working on the review of school funding was an "eye-opener" that showed an enormous difference between "well-endowed schools" and those in lower socio-economic areas.
He insisted his analysis of school funding still stood up to scrutiny. "Some may disagree with aspects and conclusions, but I'm not aware of any major holes that have been found," he said.
Labor has recommitted itself to the Gonski schools funding model as it accused the Abbott government of wrecking children’s education by reversing the reforms.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says his party believes fundamentally in needs-based education funding and Australia has come too far to turn its back on that principle now.
Mr Shorten said Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s approach to the nation's finances was to behave like ''the Sheriff of Nottingham''.
''Labor believes that a child's postcode or the wealth of their parent should not be the determinant of their access to education al opportunity in this country,'' he said.
''We will reveal all our policies in good time before the next election, but we are very clear that we believe in needs-based funding.
''Australia's come too far to turn our back on this principle.
''All fair minded Australians know that a child's opportunity should be based upon their needs, not based upon their parents' cheque book.''
with Lisa Cox
