Make university & TAFE free again, introduce universal, free childcare, and wipe all student HECS debt. Because everyone deserves quality education without sacrifice, and a rich country like Australia can afford that. |
Everyone deserves a high-quality education, no matter where they live or how much their family earns. Across childcare, schooling, and university, costs are spiralling out of control, leaving Australians worse off.
Australia has had free uni before - we can do it again. More than a quarter of those in parliament, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, benefited from free university education. But now, we’re faced with an out of control uni payments system, leaving uni students straddled with debt for decades.
At the same time decades of underfunding have left public schools struggling to meet the needs of their students.. Schooling is supposed to be free, but excess fees and costs caused by underfunding have led to parents paying thousands to send their kids to school.
Even at the start of a child’s life, our childcare system locks out families who need it the most - with skyrocketing fees and profit driven providers putting pressure on parents - especially women - and underpaying the educators who do this work. We need to create a fairer, more equal society where families are supported, educators are valued, and kids thrive.
We know that free childcare, schooling, and university results in better outcomes for students, parents, and the community. It opens up pathways, creates opportunities, and sets young people up for a successful life.
The Greens have plan for free and fair education for everyone:
- Remove all student debt, including HELP, SFSS, and VET, starting 1 July 2025, ensuring students are no longer saddled with decades of repayments.
- Make public education free by abolishing all public school fees and providing schools with an additional $2.4 billion to replace fees charged to parents and carers.
- Reduce out-of-pocket costs for families with annual "back to school" payments of $800 per student.
- Introduce free early years education and care for all children, as well as better pay and conditions for educators.
- Fully fund all public schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by committing $6.8 billion over the next four years.
More details on our plan for free and fair education coming soon
Every child deserves to get the care and education they need, yet the major parties have failed to fix a system that puts profits before people. By keeping Griffith Green, you’re backing an MP who will fight for accessible education, and create a positive future for all of us.