Federal Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, has stated unequivocally that all schools in Australia will see an increase of funding next year.

Mr Garrett said that under the national funding model, all schools will receive funding increases, plus an indexation of three per cent as a bare minimum.

“We are prepared to guarantee this and are asking states and territories to do the same,” Mr Garrett said.

Mr Garrett hit out at Opposition claims that there are ‘lists’ of schools that will receive progressively less funding under the Government’s scheme.

“Any list which shows schools losing money next year or experiencing long-term funding cuts are therefore inaccurate. The release of these lists is achieving nothing except to cause unnecessary alarm for parents, teachers and school principals,” Mr Garrett said.

States are currently being asked to commit to meeting the three per cent increase in school funding.

The announcement by Mr Garrett comes after a week of intensive negotiations between Commonwealth and State Education Ministers over the direction of school funding and the future of the NAPLAN system.