Some Background

We went to this rally and the numbers present were impressive.

This is from Adelaide Now

Thousands of parents and teachers will rally across the state today in protest at cuts to public education funding.

They say the cuts from next year "will impact on every classroom in South Australia". Rallies will take place from 4.30pm on the steps of Parliament House in the city and in Mount Gambier, Berri, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Whyalla.

They are responding to "savings initiatives" listed in the 2006-07 State Budget for the Department of Education and Children's Services. In total, an estimated $84 million in savings over four years will be borne by schools. That equates to nearly $500 for each of the state's 171,200 public education students.

Schools say the cost-shifting will result in them not being able to afford school support officers, computer upgrades and replacement, library books, special programs and key classroom resources.

Schools could be up to $100,000 out of pocket each year. A key concern is the proposal for schools to pay 1 per cent of their total staff salaries towards a WorkCover levy.

SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said the rally was an "unprecedented" move by schools to campaign against Budget cuts.

"When you talk about a figure such as $25 million it doesn't mean much to parents but when you narrow it down to what impact that is going to have on the school their children attend, it really hits home," she said. "We have only really found out in the past two months how these initiatives will be carried out and we were never consulted by the department. It was just a briefing with their options."

Secondary Principals Association Jim Daves said the Budget cuts would "impact on every classroom in the state".

"It will put the profession of teaching in a very difficult position over the forthcoming years," he said.

"Next year we'll survive with the computers we've got, the following year some will break down and we're not going to have the money to replace them.

"Our existing text books will survive another year, the year after we'll put sticky tape on them but there comes a time where we need to replace them with new ones. An Education Department spokeswoman said: "We want to assure families and staff that all efficiencies, as outlined in the 2006-07 State Budget, will be redirected back into public education in SA to deliver quality education for children".