• Listen:
• Windows Media

CAVANAGH: Education in Australia is viewed by many as a right, whether it be through the public system which is funded both at a national and state level or through the private system which receives some government funding. The present Federal Labor Government has made a great deal of noise as being behind the so-called education revolution -- such as pledging during last year's election that a lap-top computer would be availble to each child at school -- that promise has slipped since Labor won office. Traditionally Labor has also been strongly supportive of financial assistance to those who may be out of work or on low incomes.

Now it is linking the two.

In what Education Minister Julia Gillard describes as a tool of last resort, parents receiving some form of welfare could find that assistance cut if authorities decide their children are not consistently attending school.

GILLARD: We've got to have a way of making sure that people abide by the rules and I'd have to say that of all the laws in Australian society that matter the law that says that kids need to be enrolled and attending school for the years that school is compulsory has got to be right up there with one of the most important ones.

CAVANAGH: The decision has upset some of Ms Gillard's own party colleagues, concerned that the part of the community that Labor claims to care most for are being deserted. The Conservative Opposition better known for often leading a crackdown on welfare abuse has mixed feelings. Families Spokesperson Tony Abbott says people who refuse to comply with certain welfare conditions are not having their payments cut leading to double standards.

ABBOTT: On the one hand adults who don't do the right thing are getting off scot free, on the other hand kids who's parents who don't do the right thing are getting penalised.

CAVANAGH: Another criticism is that people who are not on welfare but don't send their children to school are not being penalised -- Ms Gillard says there are only so many means at her disposal. The educationists are caught in the middle -- the body that represents school principals is concerned that families that have their funding cut could take their anger out on teachers.

Deputy President of the Secondary Schools Principals Association John McAlpine argues that his colleagues may be loath to report the students as it is the families in most need of help who could slip further behind.

CAVANAGH: I've got serious concerns about that as a principal that it could be a little like the death penalty the juries might find someone not guilty because they don't want them to be hanged. If we have a situation where attendance records are provided and a family could eventually its welfare support cut off principals might be reluctant to be engaged in that type of process. It probably would send a very strong message that there penalties for not sending their children to school but whether it would actually help that family when its already I'd suggest a very dysfunctional family I would hazard guess that it would not help that family at all."

Ms Gillard says action has to be taken.

GILLARD: If a child lives in a dysfunctional family then we've got an obligation to do what we can to address that.This is a system that will bring non-enrolment and non-attendance to our attention then we will help people get their children school. In the last resort if there is a welfare suspension people can fix that immediately and be back paid everything that they have missed out on by geting their child enrolled and at school."

CAVANAGH: Another criticism is that the program being trialled in eight communities of which six have a large aboriginal population and that the scheme is targetting indigenous communities. Ms Gillard disputes this, and says if successful it will be rolled out across the country.