NSW teachers back O'Farrell on funding TONY Abbott is putting politics ahead of the interests of thousands of children by opposing the federal government's schools funding plan, NSW teachers say. NSW Teachers Federation president Maurie Mulheron says it's time for the federal opposition leader to start acting like a national leader. "A national leader would put petty party politics aside and act in the national interest and the interests of every student in every school," he said. Under the federal government's funding overhaul, based on the Gonski reforms, schools around the country would get an extra $14.5 billion plus indexation over the next six years. The government on Sunday released an internal analysis showing that schools risked losing $16.2 billion if the plan was abandoned under a coalition government. Mr Mulheron said the fact NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell had signed up to the Gillard government plan showed the issue was above party politics . "It doesn't have to be a political football," Mr Mulheron told AAP. Like he did with the national disability insurance scheme, Mr Abbott can also put party aside and make sure that he supports the new funding arrangement. The O'Farrell government has indicated NSW schools will lose out on $5 billion over five years if the federal plans are scrapped, and has urged Mr Abbot to reconsider his opposition to the reforms. Mr Mulheron said the federation had disagreed with the state government in the past on education issues, but in this instance Mr O'Farrell was correct. Mr Mulheron said the extra funding would mean many more teachers across state public schools and extra cash to support disabled students as well as students from disadvantaged and remote backgrounds.