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].
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.
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.
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 original source provided (Business Insider Australia) is no longer accessible (returns 404 error), which limits the ability to assess its specific claims [1].
**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].
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].
While critics focused on the cuts to education funding, the government argued that:
1. **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].
2. **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].
3. **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.
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 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.
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 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.