Category: Funding

New figures show that government funding increases continue to favour private schools over public schools. Total government funding (Commonwealth and state/territory) for private schools increased by $574 per student, adjusted for inflation, between 2012-13 and 2015-16 compared to only $324 per student in public schools.

The disparity in funding increases resulted from much larger increases for private schools than public schools by the Commonwealth and the failure of state/territory governments – the major providers for public schools – to increase their funding in any significant way since 2012-13, after cutting a swathe through public school funding in earlier years. Continue reading “Government Funding Increases Continue to Favour Private Schools”

School funding should be a central issue in the Tasmanian election campaign. The latest school funding figures show that successive Tasmanian governments have slashed funding for public schools in recent years. Both Labor and Liberal governments in Tasmania took advantage of increased Commonwealth Government funding for public schools to cut their own funding, while funding for private schools was boosted by the Commonwealth Government. Continue reading “Public School Funding in Tasmania Slashed by Labor and Liberal Governments”

The Turnbull Government promised to eliminate all special deals for private schools under its Gonski 2.0 funding plan. However, new data released through Senate Estimates reveal that the $58 million adjustment fund for ACT private schools announced last year is the mother of all special deals. It will increase the already massive overfunding of several highly advantaged private schools in Canberra and delay, or postpone indefinitely, reductions in over-funding. Continue reading “ACT Private Schools Have the Mother of All Special Deals”

The following is a summary of a new Education Policy Brief published by Save Our Schools. The full Brief can be downloaded below.

A recent report by the Australian National Audit Office has slammed the Commonwealth Government for failing to ensure its funding of private school systems is distributed according to need and for not knowing how private school systems distribute their funding. The report is a scathing indictment of a massive failure of ministerial responsibility and government administration. Yet, this failure is likely to continue under Gonski 2.0, as it has for the past decade or more. Continue reading “Govt. Failure to Ensure Private School Systems Distribute Funding According to Need Will Continue Under Gonski 2.0”

This is a summary of a new Education Research Paper published by Save Our Schools. The full version can be downloaded below.

The Prime Minister says that Gonski 2.0 is “fair, it’s needs-based and it’s consistent”. However, confidential data released by the Commonwealth Department of Education under FOI contradicts his claim. It shows a massive increase in over-funding of private schools by 2027 and continuing under-funding of public schools. Continue reading “Gonski 2.0 Is The Best Special Deal Private Schools Have Ever Had”

A new academic study has found that increased expenditure on primary schools has positive long-term effects on educational attainment. The study, published in the November issue of the journal Applied Economics, found that a 10% increase in spending for grades 4-7 in Michigan resulted in a 7% increase in college enrolment and an 11% increase in college completion. It also found that the additional expenditure led to an increase of 3–5 percentage points in high school graduation rates. Continue reading “Increased School Funding Increases Post-Secondary Attainment”

Several wealthy Melbourne private schools are set to get large windfall gains from the Turnbull Government’s Gonski 2.0 funding model after revisions to their assessed student need. Many of the schools will get increases of $1-$3.2 million between 2018 and 2027 because their student need has been revised upwards. Yet, about 75% or more of the students in these schools are from the most advantaged families in Victoria. Continue reading “Elite Melbourne Private Schools to Get Big Funding Windfalls from Turnbull Government”

A new report by the OECD shows that about one-third of the variation in science performance across OECD countries is explained by the degree of equity in the allocation of educational resources across advantaged and disadvantaged schools. Countries with more equitable systems performed better on average. The report shows that the allocation of resources in Australian schools is highly inequitable.

The report shows that students in socio-economically disadvantaged schools in Australia are less exposed than students in advantaged schools to the learning environments and educational resources that matter the most for science performance. Effective teaching practices, a favourable school climate, exposure to science and access to educational resources are all better in advantaged schools than in disadvantaged schools in Australia. Continue reading “OECD Report Shows that the Allocation of Resources in Australian Schools is Highly Inequitable”

A new study published by the prestigious US National Bureau of Economic Research has found that increased expenditure on disadvantaged pre-schoolers and disadvantaged schools improves school results and life outcomes. It shows strong synergies between increased expenditure on pre-school programs and school education. While spending of either type improved academic outcomes to some degree, access to both resulted in a dynamic complementarity that offered far greater long- term benefits. The findings suggest that early investments in the education of disadvantaged children that are followed by sustained educational investments over time can effectively break the cycle of poverty. Continue reading “Study Shows Beneficial Effects of Increased Expenditure on Pre-School and Schools”

A basic flaw of Gonski 2.0 is that it abandons developing a national approach to school funding. Instead, it entrenches the structural incoherence of school funding so heavily criticised in the original Gonski report. It will only enhance inconsistencies in funding and ensure that the school funding wars between the Commonwealth and the States continue.

Continue reading “Gonski 2.0 Entrenches Structural Incoherence and Inequity in School Funding”