• Any changes to structures or funding have serious implications for women’s working conditions and ability to deliver high quality education. Women make up the majority of the workforce in the schooling sector. At the primary level of schooling, females accounted for 81.5% of teaching staff in government schools, 82.6% in Catholic schools, and 77.1% in Independent schools. The proportion of teaching staff who were female was less at the secondary level, where the figures were 60.1% for government schools, 58.9% for Catholic schools, and 55.8% for Independent schools.

• Inadequate and short-term funding also has serious consequences for Australian women and their children in relation to accessing education and other work and family commitments in the longer term. Women are also the major care givers for children and changes to funding models impact on their relationship with schools and their ability to enter the workforce. On average women spend 8 hours 33 minutes per day caring for children under 14 years of age compared to men who care for 3 hours 55 minutes.

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