The Queensland Government has upped the ante over the debate over school funding, calling for the Federal Government to scrap the Gonski reform package and “butt out” of education.

In a speech delivered to 1,200 state school principles, State Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said it was ‘time to end the blame game’ and trust states to set education policy and outcomes.

“Education should not be a central power; the states are in a better position to deliver it given our own unique circumstances,” Mr Langbroek said.

“The Australian Government operates no schools. The Australian Government is responsible for no students. The Australian Government employs no teachers.

“The Federal Government should simply put the $15 billion they spend on education into the GST pot or similar and carve it up on the basis of population.”

Mr Langbroek accused the Federal Government of a precedent in meddling in school education with no effective outcomes.

“Despite an 87% increase in money from the Federal Government over the last 10 years, standards have continued to slide,” he said.

“It should ring alarm bells that anyone who has responsibility for a school is unanimously opposed to Gonski. The states are against it. The Catholics are against it. The Independents are against it.

“Part of the reason is that we do not like being told how to do our job by people with a horrible track record of doing theirs.”

Mr Langbroek said if the Federal Government wanted to influence education policy and invest in education outcomes it should enter into agreements with individual states based on their own circumstances and priorities.