Government Funding Increases Continue to Favour Private Schools

Trevor Cobbold / / 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”

League Tables Create Incentives for Schools to Rig Their Results

Trevor Cobbold / / League Tables and Testing

National literacy and numeracy tests will now have ‘high stakes’ attached to them as a result of the decision of Australian education ministers, at the initiative of the Rudd Government, to publish the results of individual schools.

It means that league tables are now inevitable in Australia. This will put schools under enormous pressure to maintain reputations and enrolments. The future of some schools will also be threatened because the Prime Minister has stated that sanctions will be applied to schools that don’t improve their performance. Continue reading “League Tables Create Incentives for Schools to Rig Their Results”

Public School Funding in Tasmania Slashed by Labor and Liberal Governments

Trevor Cobbold / / Funding

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”

Doubt About Reliability of Figures on Teacher Attrition in Australia

Trevor Cobbold / / Teachers

Commonly cited figures on teacher attrition in Australia are not reliable according to a new research paper. It found there is no robust evidence to support claims that 30–50% of Australian teachers leave teaching within their first five years. In fact, it says, the teacher attrition rate in Australia is unknown. Continue reading “Doubt About Reliability of Figures on Teacher Attrition in Australia”

ACT Private Schools Have the Mother of All Special Deals

Trevor Cobbold / / Funding

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”

Caution Needed in Interpreting PISA 2015 Results

Trevor Cobbold / / League Tables and Testing

Last year, the Director of Education at the OECD, Andreas Schleicher, admitted that the switch from pen-and-paper to computer tests for PISA 2015 assessments may have contributed to significant falls in results amongst higher performing countries. A new research paper published by the Centre of Education Economics in the UK provides more evidence for this. Continue reading “Caution Needed in Interpreting PISA 2015 Results”

Study Shows That Vouchers to Attend Private Schools Reduce Student Achievement

Trevor Cobbold / / Choice and competition

A new US study has found that vouchers to attend private schools leads to lower student achievement by up to a year or more of learning. It shows that funding disadvantaged students to attend private schools resulted in lower test scores in maths, reading, science and social studies. Continue reading “Study Shows That Vouchers to Attend Private Schools Reduce Student Achievement”

Reducing Education Disadvantage Will Increase Individual Well-being and Economic Prosperity

Trevor Cobbold / / Equity in education

A report by Deloitte Access Economics to the Federal Government has found that increasing student achievement in Australia will have significant individual and economy-wide benefits. It says that a central issue for government is to address disadvantage in education and that school funding must be sufficient to overcome educational disadvantage associated with low socio-economic families and communities.

The study found that increasing student achievement increases education attainment to Year 12 and beyond school and increases wages and the likelihood of employment. It also leads to a more productive workforce and increased economic growth. Continue reading “Reducing Education Disadvantage Will Increase Individual Well-being and Economic Prosperity”

OECD Says Targeted Support Is Essential to Improve Results for Disadvantaged Students and Schools

Trevor Cobbold / / Equity in education

A new report published by the OECD in December highlights once again the large inequity in school results in Australia and the huge disparity in teacher shortages between advantaged and disadvantaged schools. A large proportion of disadvantaged 15 year-old students do not achieve expected standards and the difference in teacher shortages between advantaged and disadvantaged schools in Australia is the largest in the OECD. The report says that targeted support is essential to improve results for disadvantaged students and schools. Continue reading “OECD Says Targeted Support Is Essential to Improve Results for Disadvantaged Students and Schools”

Govt. Failure to Ensure Private School Systems Distribute Funding According to Need Will Continue Under Gonski 2.0

Trevor Cobbold / / Funding

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”