No reason to delay school reforms: Shorten July 5, 2013 - 8:18AM Education Minister Bill Shorten sees no reason why the federal government's school funding reforms wouldn't be rolled out as planned from January next year. The coalition has called for the Better Schools plan be pushed back to 2015, as the government continues talks with state leaders and school bosses to finalise the deals. NSW, South Australia and the ACT signed up to the new funding model by the June 30 deadline laid down by former prime minister Julia Gillard. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has given the other states until the end of next week to consider their positions, and spoken to their leaders this week to encourage them to sign up. Mr Shorten said there was no reason the new funding arrangement couldn't be rolled out from January 1, 2014, as required by the legislation passed by parliament. "I'm an optimist and I hope through sensible, intelligent, pragmatic discussion, listening to all points of view, that the remaining issues are ironed out," he told ABC Radio on Friday. He said the government had set out the funding model it intended to use, but would listen to what the various jurisdictions thought about the issue.