SOS Australia

The following is an updated list of studies since 2000 that employed sophisticated statistical methods to analyse the impact of changes in school expenditure on student outcomes. The list is drawn from a new meta-analysis of the studies published by the US National Bureau of Economic Research and a new review of the literature published by the Albert Shanker Institute in the United States.

Continue reading “Studies on School Expenditure and Student Achievement”

Many of Australia’s richest and most exclusive private schools increased their fees for 2025 by between five and 10 per cent, some by even more. Several schools blamed cuts in Federal Government funding as a factor causing them to raise fees. The claims are vastly exaggerated and served only to prompt alarmist headlines about private schools losing funding.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

First, very few private schools will have their funding reduced over the next five years. Almost all private schools will receive funding increases and those that don’t constitute the most over-funded schools in the country, being over-funded by hundreds of millions of dollars. Second, several schools complaining about funding cuts will actually continue to have their funding increased.

Continue reading “Elite Private Schools Whine About Cuts to Their Millions in Over-Funding”

There are no Christmas presents for public schools in new interim funding agreements between the Albanese Government and the major states. Government funding shares for public schools in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia in 2025 will be largely stuck at their previous levels because of continued squabbling between government levels. Public schools in these states will remain  massively under-funded in 2025.

The interminable squabbling between governments over their respective shares of funding public schools is both disgraceful and scandalous. It hinders the learning progress of disadvantaged students and perpetuating large achievement gaps between rich and poor.

Continue reading “No Christmas Presents for Public Schools”

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”.

Continue reading “SOS Statement to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee”

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.

Continue reading “Submission to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Schools Funding Bill”

Private schools have seized on an opportunity provided by an Amendment Bill before the Parliament to attempt to lock-in billions in Commonwealth over-funding for years to come. In a submission to a Senate inquiry on the Bill, Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has proposed that the current cap on Commonwealth funding be replaced by a floor. If adopted, it will open the door for a future government to arbitrarily increase the Commonwealth share of funding for private schools without any parliamentary scrutiny. Such a move would further widen the already huge resource gap between independent and public schools.

Continue reading “Private Schools Opportunist Attempt to Lock-In Over-Funding”