Greens back injection of funds for Tasmanian schools

An immediate down-payment of $120 million for Tasmanian schools would ensure that the state's 83,294 students are leading the way when it comes to their education, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"With close to 60,000 students enrolled in 202 government schools across the state, the Gonski Review's recommendations would see much-needed investment in Tasmania's public education system," Senator Brown said.

"The 2011 Naplan results highlighted that Tasmanian students are faring below the national average when it comes to literacy and numeracy. A commitment to an immediate boost in funding for our public education system and poorer private schools must be a priority for the Gillard Government.

"The Greens are calling on the federal Government to act urgently and ensure a down-payment in this year's budget for our public schools. Just to reach the OECD average of 3.5% of GDP Australia needs a further investment of $7 billion a year," Senator Brown said.