The Greens are set to announce their $10 billion election commitment to end school fees by giving parents an annual $800 allowance per child.
The $800 payment will be distributed to primary and secondary school students on 1 July. It is estimated to cost $7.6 billion by 2028 and is intended for out-of-pocket expenses like uniforms, technology, and school supplies.
School fees are estimated to have risen by 20.58% from 2021 to 2022 and the Greens proposal sets to abolish school fees, charges and contributions through additional funding of $2.4 billion.
The plan will be announced by Greens leader Adam Bandt, alongside Greens schools education spokesperson, Penny Allman-Payne.
"In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics: a home, food, and world-class health and education," Bandt said.
"Parents are forking out thousands on 'voluntary' fees, uniforms and out-of-pocket costs, but meanwhile one in three big corporations pays no tax."
In a statement earlier this month, Allman-Payne said she believes every child deserves a high-quality education and that consecutive governments have failed.
“Under Labor, private schools are banking $51 million each day from the Commonwealth, while 98% of public schools receive less than the bare minimum funding,” she said.
“That means overworked teachers, crumbling infrastructure and rising out-of-pocket costs for families already slammed by the cost-of-living crisis.”
While the Greens can’t form a government outright as a minor party, depending on this year’s election result, they could strike a power-sharing agreement with the Labor party.
In the event of a hung parliament, the Greens could have greater influence. In an exclusive interview with the Guadian, Bandt said stopping Peter Dutton from becoming Prime Minister is the party’s main election focus.
The announcement is set to be made at Coorparoo state school in Brisbane. The Greens were reduced to one seat in Queensland’s state election in October, placing pressure on the party to maintain its three federal seats when voters hit the polls later this year.
“We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result,” Bandt said.
“If Brisbane voters return their Greens MPs, they can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act on the cost-of-living crisis.”
