Jenny Collins, principal of Tintern Schools - which includes Tintern Girls Grammar in Ringwood East and Southwood Boys Grammar in Ringwood - said the school community had had a long-standing commitment to the Rock Eisteddfod.

"We have a Rock Eisteddfod co-ordinator who was supporting the students to develop the Rock Eisteddfod program for 2010.

"We were surprised and disappointed that due to circumstances beyond the control of any individual school the Rock Eisteddfod will not be proceeding this year."

Rock Eisteddfod spokeswoman Helen Sjoquist said the organisation had received many phone calls from "devastated" students preparing to take part in Melbourne's J-Rock event, which was to be held at the Hisense Arena in August.

Ms Sjoquist said lack of funding had forced organisers to pull the event, which had been running for 30 years.

"It was popular. Last year 25,000 students around Australia performed. The state governments' refusal to increase funding this year certainly played a major role in the decision to abandon the event.

"We would dearly love to run the program in 2011 and hope government departments from around the country see the value in supporting it in the future."

The state opposition spokeswoman for the arts and Bayswater Liberal MP Heidi Victoria called on the State

Government to provide immediate funding for the Rock Eisteddfod.

"Clearly the Premier and his education minister Bronwyn Pike are completely ignorant to the dedication and achievement that students get from participating in the Rock Eisteddfod."

Ms Victoria said a Coalition Government would give $800,000 over the next four years to adequately fund the event.

Kilsyth MP David Hodgett said the event had been a "valuable social and creative program in school communities for over 20 years".

But Eastern Metropolitan Labor MP Shaun Leane said the State Government provided $112,000 funding per year, and that would be honoured in 2010.

While some other states had cut their funding, Mr Leane said Victoria had maintained its support for the Rock Eisteddfod through its Go For Your Life program.

He said the Government was exploring the possibility of a statewide competition.

with Linda Jones and Winston Tan