The Claim
“Scrapped the Centre for Quality Teaching.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim that the Coalition "scrapped the Centre for Quality Teaching" requires clarification. There does not appear to be a government program by the exact name "Centre for Quality Teaching" that was abolished in the 2014 budget [1].
The program most likely being referenced is the Australian Government Quality Teacher Program (AGQTP), which was a long-running professional development program for teachers and school leaders [2]. The AGQTP had been operating since 2005 and provided funding to schools for teacher professional development activities [2].
The 2014 federal budget delivered by the Abbott government did include significant changes to education funding. According to budget papers and analysis, the government cut $3.7 billion from education over the forward estimates [3][4]. These cuts primarily affected:
- Higher education (university funding cut by $4.7 billion over four years, with 20% reduction in Commonwealth contribution) [5]
- Changes to HELP/HECS repayment thresholds and indexation [5]
- Cuts to various education programs
However, regarding specific teacher quality programs, the 2014 budget actually included $6.8 million in 2014-15 for the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme (AGQTP) specifically for non-government schools for Indigenous students from remote communities [6].
The related body "Teaching Australia" (the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) had already been abolished and replaced by AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) in 2010 under the Gillard government [7], not by the Coalition in 2014.
Missing Context
The claim omits several important contextual factors:
1. Budget Context: The 2014 budget was delivered in the context of a declared "budget emergency" and the government's commitment to return the budget to surplus [8]. The National Commission of Audit had recommended extensive cuts across government programs, including rationalisation of Commonwealth bodies and tighter controls on grants programs [9].
2. Program Evolution: The Australian Government Quality Teacher Program was not simply "scrapped" but rather evolved. The budget redirected some AGQTP funding toward specific priorities, including Indigenous education in non-government schools [6].
3. Broader Education Reform: The 2014 budget proposed significant restructuring of education funding, including the controversial deregulation of university fees and changes to school funding indexation arrangements [5]. The teacher quality program changes were part of this broader reform agenda.
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source provided (Business Insider Australia) is no longer accessible (returns 404 error), which limits the ability to assess its specific claims [1].
Business Insider Australia was a digital news outlet that aggregated content and published original reporting. It was not a specialist education policy publication. The outlet's Australia edition ceased operations or changed its URL structure, which raises questions about the long-term reliability of its archives.
The source appears to have been a list-style article summarising budget cuts rather than detailed policy analysis.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government education program cuts teacher quality"
The Gillard Labor government actually established AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) in 2010, replacing the earlier "Teaching Australia" body [7]. This was part of Labor's National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality, which was a significant investment in teacher quality initiatives [10].
The Labor government's National Plan for School Improvement (the "Gonski reforms") included substantial investment in teacher quality and professional development as part of its $9.8 billion six-year funding plan [11].
However, Labor governments have also made education cuts when budget circumstances required. The Rudd government's 2009-10 budget efficiency dividends affected education departments, and various education programs have been restructured by governments of both persuasions over time.
Expert analysis suggests that while the Coalition's 2014 education changes were significant, claims of "$30 billion cuts to schools" (a related Labor talking point) have been assessed as misleading by AAP FactCheck, as they referred to projected future funding increases rather than actual cuts to existing funding [12].
Balanced Perspective
The 2014 budget's education measures were among the most controversial aspects of an already contentious budget. While critics focused on the cuts to education funding, the government argued that:
Fiscal necessity: The changes were required to address what the government characterised as unsustainable growth in government expenditure [8]. Treasurer Joe Hockey's 2012 speech in London titled "The End of the Age of Entitlement" outlined the philosophical basis for these cuts [13].
Targeted priorities: Rather than across-the-board cuts, the government claimed to be redirecting resources to priority areas, including specific funding for Indigenous education through the AGQTP [6].
Structural reform: The university fee deregulation and related changes were presented as necessary reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of higher education [5].
However, independent analysis from The Australia Institute and other sources noted that the budget disproportionately affected lower-income households while providing corporate tax cuts and maintaining benefits for higher-income earners [4].
The specific claim about "scrapping the Centre for Quality Teaching" appears to be an oversimplification or possible confusion with other program changes. The AGQTP was not entirely abolished but was refocused, and the major teacher quality body (AITSL) had actually been established under Labor, not abolished by the Coalition.
PARTIALLY TRUE
5.0
out of 10
The claim contains elements of truth but is misleading in its specifics. While the 2014 budget did make significant changes to education funding and restructured teacher quality programs, there was no specific "Centre for Quality Teaching" that was scrapped. The Australian Government Quality Teacher Program (AGQTP) was refocused rather than abolished, with funding continuing for specific priorities including Indigenous education. The major teacher quality body (AITSL) was actually established under Labor in 2010, not abolished by the Coalition in 2014.
The claim appears to conflate or oversimplify complex budget changes that occurred in 2014, which were part of broader education restructuring rather than simple program elimination.
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The claim contains elements of truth but is misleading in its specifics. While the 2014 budget did make significant changes to education funding and restructured teacher quality programs, there was no specific "Centre for Quality Teaching" that was scrapped. The Australian Government Quality Teacher Program (AGQTP) was refocused rather than abolished, with funding continuing for specific priorities including Indigenous education. The major teacher quality body (AITSL) was actually established under Labor in 2010, not abolished by the Coalition in 2014.
The claim appears to conflate or oversimplify complex budget changes that occurred in 2014, which were part of broader education restructuring rather than simple program elimination.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (13)
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1
businessinsider.com.au
Businessinsider Com
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2
education.gov.au
Education Gov
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3
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia -
4
australiainstitute.org.au
The Imaginary Crisis The Budget Blow By Blow The Devil Is In The Detail TAI In The Media Infographic The Imaginary Crisis When the previous government
The Australia Institute -
5
abc.net.au
Take a look at who benefits and who bears the brunt of the 2014 Hockey budget.
Abc Net -
6
acses.edu.au
The government has unveiled a higher education deregulation agenda in Tuesday’s budget, including continuation of the demand driven system in public universities. This article outlines expert responses.
ACSES -
7
aitsl.edu.au
AITSL provides national leadership for the Australian State and Territories in promoting excellence in the profession of teaching and school leadership
AITSL -
8PDF
Budget Overview
Archive Budget Gov • PDF Document -
9
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia
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10
education.gov.au
Education Gov
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11
pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au
Pmtranscripts Pmc Gov
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12
aap.com.au
A decade-old claim that the coalition cut $30 billion from school funding in 2014 is being touted by Labor in the 2025 federal election.
Aap Com -
13PDF
download
Joehockey • PDF Document
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.