Govt ditches Gonski schools funding plan The federal government has reneged on an election promise to match Labor's extra funding for schools over four years, drawing fire from NSW, which was up for the biggest share. Education Minister Christopher Pyne on Tuesday said he would deliver on the so-called Gonski school reforms in 2014, but introduce a new funding scheme for the nation's 9400-plus schools from 2015. Mr Pyne said he had been advised by Treasury of a $1.2 billion hole in Labor's funding plan, putting existing agreements with most states in jeopardy because the funding cupboard was bare. A week before the September 7 election, Mr Pyne said voters could choose between Liberal or Labor and "get exactly the same amount of funding for your school." But on Tuesday the minister said that while the same "funding envelope" would be available, talks with state and territory education ministers would begin in Sydney on Friday on how it could be distributed beyond 2014. The new system would be "flatter, fairer and simpler," Mr Pyne told reporters in Canberra. "I know that Labor wanted to try and tie the coalition to the future for at least past two elections, but the way our system works is that no government can bind any future government," Mr Pyne added. Before the election Labor had agreements with NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, as well as independent and Catholic schools, for its new funding model based on student needs. Mr Pyne said the coming system would be based on the former Howard coalition government scheme and he ruled out another review. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was a broken promise because Prime Minister Tony Abbott had said before the election the coalition and Labor had a "unity ticket" on schools funding. Mr Shorten, the former education minister, said Mr Pyne should rule out any school being worse off. "We are seeing Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne do something different in government ... than what they said in opposition," he said. Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said the issue would test Mr Abbott's trustworthiness. "He's now essentially going back to the old scheme of the Howard years, which led to huge levels of disadvantage in public education, and where those schools who already had lots got lots more, and those who had nothing got very little," she said. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says the federal government has handled the issue poorly and he has sought urgent talks with Mr Abbott. "When you move into government you have to stop behaving like an opposition," he said. However, WA education minister Peter Collier said the original funding offer was insulting and it was right for the government to go back to the drawing board. Australian Education Union federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said the states must ensure funding isn't cut when they meet with Mr Pyne for the Ministerial Council for Education in Sydney on Friday. National Catholic Education Commission executive director Ross Fox said any changes would need to be in place by early 2014 or schools would not have time to adjust.