Save Our Schools calls on the Federal Government to investigate the funding of the Exclusive Brethren school, OneSchool Global NSW. National Convenor of SOS, Trevor Cobbold, said that the revelations in The Guardian warrant a full Government inquiry into the legitimacy of Federal funding of the school. “The available figures strongly suggest that OneSchool Global NSW is being funded at a much higher level than is warranted.”
Mr. Cobbold said several aspects of taxpayer funding of OneSchool Global NSW warrant an investigation.
“Australian Taxation Office data on family income which is used to determine the base funding of private schools shows that the median adjusted taxable family income of OneSchool Global NSW parents is $302,000. Yet, enrolment data reported on the My School website shows that 93% of its students are from the bottom two quartiles of the Socio-Education Advantage (SEA) index and only 2% are from the top SEA quartile.
“These figures are incompatible. Other NSW private schools with a median taxable family income of around $300,000 have a low proportion of students in the bottom two SEA quartiles and high proportions in the top quartiles. For example, Oxford Falls Grammar with a median taxable family income of $298,000 has 12% of its students in the bottom two SEA quartiles and 88% in the top two quartiles. St. Augustine’s College with a family income of $304,000 has 13% of its students in the bottom two quartiles and 87% in the top two quartiles.
“Another contradiction is that OneSchool Global NSW has an ICSEA score of 978 which indicates significant disadvantage compared to 1136 for both Oxford Falls Grammar and St. Augustine’s College, scores that indicate significant advantage and minimal disadvantage. OneSchool Global’s ICSEA score is at the 36th percentile compared to the 93rd percentile for Oxford Falls Grammar and St. Augustine’s College.”
Mr. Cobbold said it is highly questionable why OneSchool Global NSW received 27.5% of its total Federal funding as a socio-educational disadvantage loading when the percentage is much lower for other high family income schools. For example, the loading for Oxford FallsGrammar represents only 4% of its total Federal funding.
“These contradictions raise questions about the accuracy of enrolment data submitted by OneSchool Global NSW to the Federal Department of Education and the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) for inclusion on the My School website. Information on family education and occupation background is used to determine disadvantage funding loadings for schools.
Mr. Cobbold said that the figures also raise very serious questions about how well the Federal Department of Education and ACARA monitor and audit family background enrolment data provided for reporting on My School and the extent of disadvantage funding.
“This data determines funding for disadvantaged students but it is dependent on information provided by schools. Without close and regular auditing, it is open to manipulation to gain more taxpayer funding than warranted.
“The contradiction between the median family income of OneSchool Global NSW and its proportion of students in the bottom two SEA quartiles together with the contradiction between its student composition and funding compared to other schools with a similar median family income demands a government inquiry. It is incumbent on the Federal Government to ensure the integrity of taxpayer funding of private schools.
“The Guardian reports also raise issues apart from financial probity. They raise some fundamental issues about how private schools are registered and qualify for Federal funding. These questions include the extent to which schools implement the Australian curriculum frameworks and adhere to state registration requirements. For example, the NSW private school registration regulations require that any responsible person in a school to “is a fit and proper person” and that “a safe and supportive environment is provided for students. There are examples of religious cults operating schools that abrogate these requirements (here and here). There appear to be no stronger provisions in current private school registration processes that could stop a well-organised religious cult from operating a school to promote its beliefs and gain taxpayer funding.
“The auditing of taxpayer funding of private schools has been heavily criticised by past reports of the Australian Auditor-General and the NSW Auditor-General. The Guardian reports cast doubt on how well governments have responded. A government inquiry should investigate whether OneSchool Global NSW is meeting financial, curriculum and student welfare standards. More generally, there is good cause to strengthen registration procedures for private schools to preclude religious cults from establishing schools.”
There are 16,500 brethren households across the globe. There are 3200 companies, the profit from these companies in 2023 was $6.4 billion on an income of $46 billion. This is after the brethren have paid themselves wages and tax from their companies.
If they put all their profits into their households this would give an average global income of $380,000 and that does not include wages.
The fact they can get disadvantage payments of any kind is beyond any kind of belief!
So glad you are investigating government funding of these private schools!
The whole issue needs reassessment given the underfunding of State schools. It’s creating and reinforcing social division and inequality!