But South Perth MLA John McGrath said he believed the State Government managed to provide the public school system with the best possible budget allocation this year in difficult financial circumstances.
The comments come after about 22,000 teachers, support staff, parents and children marched on Parliament House protesting cuts to education last Tuesday.
In the Southern Gazette readership area, Belmont, Cloverdale, Lathlain and Kensington primary schools were among the 102 WA schools that closed for the day as the State School Teacher’s Union of WA, Community and Public Sector Union and United Voice called on people to take part in its ‘community day of action’.
‘At no point during the 2013 State election did Mr Barnett say that he would cut our school education budgets to fund his projects in the city. Although he said his projects were ‘fully funded’ and ‘fully costed’, clearly this was not the case and now our school budgets are being slashed by Mr Barnett,’ Mr Wyatt said.
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READ NOW‘When challenged about these cuts to local schools, Mr Barnett said those concerned need to ‘get a life’.
‘What Mr Barnett failed to understand is that for many of us, the future of our children is our life and that future is very much dependent on the quality and diversity of their educational opportunities.’
Mr McGrath said funding for education had been increased by $300 million this year but ‘massive population growth’ had put ‘unprecedented pressure’ on the budget.