Free Public Transport for Kids: A Band-Aid on a Bleeding Education System
The Victorian government’s recent announcement of free public transport for children seems like a welcome relief for many families struggling with the rising cost of living. Taking my daughter to the city on weekends often costs more than the actual activities we’re heading to, so I understand why many parents are celebrating this news.
However, something doesn’t sit quite right about this announcement. While scrolling through online discussions about this initiative, I spotted several comments pointing to a more troubling reality: this feel-good announcement coincides with a $2.4 billion cut to public school funding. The timing feels calculated, like offering someone a chocolate bar while picking their pocket.
Looking at the bigger picture, our public education system is facing significant challenges. Teachers are leaving for private schools offering better pay and conditions, and many public schools, particularly in outer suburbs and regional areas, are struggling to maintain consistent staffing levels. The prospect of remaining the lowest-funded state for public education until 2031 is deeply concerning.
The public transport initiative itself isn’t bad - it’s actually quite good. Free transport for kids makes perfect sense, especially given how expensive it can be for families. A return trip to the city for a family of four currently costs around $33, which often makes driving the more economical choice, despite the environmental impact and parking hassles.
But we need to question why this announcement comes now, and what it’s potentially distracting us from. It reminds me of the classic political strategy of giving with one hand while taking with the other. The savings for families using public transport will be welcome, but they pale in comparison to the impact of underfunded schools.
The government’s attempt to count school construction as part of their education funding commitment feels particularly disingenuous. While new buildings are important, they don’t teach our kids - teachers do. And those teachers need proper support, resources, and fair pay to deliver quality education.
Perhaps most frustrating is how this continues the trend of widening the gap between public and private education. Inner-city public schools might weather these changes better due to their stronger community resources and funding bases, but outer suburban and regional schools will likely bear the brunt of these cuts.
The solution isn’t complicated, even if it’s politically challenging. We need genuine, sustained investment in public education - not just infrastructure, but in teaching staff, resources, and support services. Free public transport for kids is great, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of their education.
Maybe it’s time we started demanding more transparency and fewer distractions from our state government. While they’re proudly announcing transport initiatives with one hand, we need to pay attention to what the other hand is doing to our education system.