sosaustralia – Page 2 – SOS Australia

NSW & Qld Public Schools Will Lose Billions if Stand-Off Continues

sosaustralia / February 17, 2025February 17, 2025 / Funding, Media releases

Save Our Schools today warned that public schools in NSW and Queensland could lose nearly $40 billion in funding over the next ten years if the stand-off between the Albanese Government and the NSW and Queensland governments is not resolved. SOS National Convenor, Trevor Cobbold, said the failure to agree to fully fund public schools in the two states is “disgraceful” and will be “catastrophic” for public schools, particularly for disadvantaged students.

New Study Shows Public Schools Bear the Greatest Burden of Disadvantage

sosaustralia / February 3, 2025February 18, 2025 / Equity in education, Funding, Media releases, Public education

A new research paper published by Save Our Schools shows that public schools bear a very large burden of disadvantage but are under-resourced for the challenge. “Public schools have to do a lot more with fewer resources than Catholic and Independent schools”, said National Convenor, Trevor Cobbold.

“Income per student in public schools is 91.5% of the income of Catholic schools but the percentage of students from low socio-educationally advantaged (SEA) families in public schools is nearly 200% of that in Catholic schools.

“Income per student in public schools is only 70.5% of that of Independent schools while their percentage of low SEA students is 285.6% of that in Independent schools.

Labor and the Coalition Are On a Unity Ticket to Defraud Public Schools of Billions in Funding

sosaustralia / November 27, 2024 / Funding, Media releases

Save Our Schools today accused the Labor Government and the Liberal-National Coalition of colluding to prevent full funding of public schools. SOS National Convenor, Trevor Cobbold, said that Albanese Government and the Opposition are on “a unity ticket to defraud public schools of billions in funding over the next five years”.

Mr. Cobbold said that Government and Coalition Senators last night voted down amendments moved by the Greens education spokesperson, Senator Allman-Payne, to ensure that public schools will be fully funded at 100% of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).

SOS Statement to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee

sosaustralia / November 13, 2024 / Funding

The following is a statement presented to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee public hearing on the Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill .

Thank you for this opportunity to address the Committee.

Save Our Schools considers that the Amendment Bill will not meet its stated goal of providing “a pathway to full and fair funding for all schools” because it fails to remove major obstacles in the pathway to full and fair funding of r public schools.

First, the floor of 20% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) of public schools is not commensurate with nationally agreed education goals and the crucial role of education in supporting national social and economic objectives. The floor should be higher.

Second, the Bill fails to remove blockages to full funding contained in the current funding agreements by which the states can claim non-SRS funding items as part of their share of funding public schools. These claims are regarded as “accounting tricks”.

Submission to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Schools Funding Bill

sosaustralia / November 6, 2024 / Funding

The Labor Government‘s proposed amendments to the Australian Education Act fail in their goal to provide “a pathway to full and fair funding for all schools”. Obstacles remain in the pathway for public schools, a pitfall that could delay funding increases in future. The amendment Bill makes a minimalist change to the limit placed on Commonwealth funding of public schools by the Turnbull Government. It fails to remove the blockage erected by the Morrison era funding agreements that allow the states to use “accounting tricks” to defraud public schools of billions in funding. Public schools will remain under-funded by billions even if all states and territories sign up to the Better Fairer School Funding agreements. Other amendments to the Act are needed to support full funding for public schools.

Why the New Plan for Fairer Schools Will Fail

sosaustralia / September 28, 2024September 27, 2024 / Equity in education, National issues

The latest results from the annual national literacy and numeracy tests in schools shows what we already knew: Australian education systems are not getting any better or fairer. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA) that the federal government is currently negotiating with the states and territories aims to address that problem. But while it may improve the learning outcomes of some students, it could make already-wide learning gaps even bigger.

This agreement, which is to take effect from January 1, lacks a clear definition of equity. That means the targets and measures to achieve it are insufficient. As a result, the BFSA risks broadening educational inequities, and jeopardising other efforts to help close the gap between the most advantaged and disadvantaged students.

End the Stand-Off On School Funding and Adopt SOS 3-Point Plan

sosaustralia / July 31, 2024January 26, 2025 / Funding, Media releases

Save Our Schools (SOS) today called on the Commonwealth and state governments to end their stand-off on school funding. National Convenor of SOS, Trevor Cobbold, said:

“This disgraceful squabbling over cost-shifting by governments threatens the future education and lives of millions of students. It puts at risk government goals of increasing Year 12 completion rates and participation in tertiary education.

School Funding in a Time of Teacher Shortage

sosaustralia / February 22, 2024 / Funding, Teachers

The spectre of teacher shortage will haunt the next meeting of Australia’s education ministers.

Without swift action from Commonwealth and state/territory governments, this growing crisis will exacerbate the difficulties that commonly face disadvantaged schools in finding sufficient teachers for students most at risk of falling behind.

Australia is poorly placed to deal with this crisis. OECD data shows that 34 per cent of students enrolled in a disadvantaged school in Australia lack sufficient teaching staff, compared to 3 per cent in an advantaged school. This not only puts students at risk as individuals. It also entails risk to the wider society, through planting the seeds of social division.

Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry on Philanthropy

sosaustralia / February 8, 2024 / Funding, National issues

Save Our Schools (SOS) welcomes the Commission’s draft recommendation to end the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status of school building funds. The Draft Report makes a compelling case to end the tax concession for school building funds based on four clear reasons.

There is no clear rationale for the concession that was provided when private schools did not receive government funding. Any rationale that existed in the 1950s has been overcome by huge increases in government funding. The concession has outlived its usefulness. Private schools received a huge range of funding programs by the Commonwealth and state/territory governments;
The benefits of DGR status accrue to individuals connected with the schools such as students, parents and alumni rather than providing community wide benefits;
DGR status is not an effective or efficient way to deliver government capital funding to schools. There is no prioritisation of or systematic assessment of government funding for capital works according to need. Funding capital works through DGR status does not align with current funding principles which purport to be based on need;
The DGR status of school building funds depletes the revenue base of the Commonwealth Government unnecessarily.

SOS agrees with the Commission’s finding that the DGR system is not fit for purpose in relation to school building funds.

Funding Agreements Need to do Better for Public Schools

sosaustralia / January 31, 2024 / Funding, Media releases

Today’s announcement that the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments will each increase funding for Western Australian public schools by 2.5% of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) is a significant step forward. The Commonwealth is to be congratulated for breaking with the arbitrary limit on its funding of public schools set by the Turnbull Government. It is particularly pleasing that disadvantaged schools will be fully funded by 2026.

However, the new agreement has let the WA Government off the hook. It has cut its funding share for public schools from 84.4% of their SRS in 2018 to 75% in 2024. It has also used accounting tricks to defraud public schools of another 4.4% of their SRS. The accounting tricks are retained in the new agreement and ensure the WA public schools will continue to be under-funded until at least 2029.