The Morrison government has pledged an additional $4.6 billion in funding over the next decade to the Catholic and Independent school sectors.
However public schools have not received one single extra dollar in funding, despite the federal government previously cutting public school funding by $1.9 billion for 2018 and 2019.
The deal consists of three measures:
$170.8m in interim funding in 2019, including a guarantee that independent schools get at least 3% funding growth
$3.2bn from 2020 to 2029, by replacing the socio-economic status score of communities’ capacity to contribute to schools with a new direct measure of parents’ income
$1.2bn from 2020 to 2029 for the Choice and Affordability Fund to be allocated for non-government schools for a wide range of uses, including assisting regional and remote schools and “to deliver choice in communities”
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan described the $1.2bn Choice and Affordability Fund as “sector-blind”, despite the fact only independent and Catholic schools can apply.
It ostensibly is to help drought-affected private schools in rural, regional and remote areas. However data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that public schools teach 74% of children in outer regional areas, 77.5% of children in remote areas and 88% in very remote areas. None of these students will benefit from this Choice and Affordability Fund.
This announcement shows that the Morrison government has turned its back on the 2.5 million children attending public schools in Australia.
No funding in this $4.6 billion funding announcement will go to students in public schools, or to build and maintain essential school infrastructure. Private schools already have an existing $1.9 billion capital works special deal.
The nation’s 2.5 million public school students are now counting on state and territory education ministers to stand up and fight for public schools.
State and territory education ministers must not sign up to new funding deals with the Commonwealth unless the Morrison government offers a genuine needs-based deal that provides full funding of 100 per cent of the SRS for every public school in Australia.
However public schools have not received one single extra dollar in funding, despite the federal government previously cutting public school funding by $1.9 billion for 2018 and 2019.
The deal consists of three measures:
$170.8m in interim funding in 2019, including a guarantee that independent schools get at least 3% funding growth
$3.2bn from 2020 to 2029, by replacing the socio-economic status score of communities’ capacity to contribute to schools with a new direct measure of parents’ income
$1.2bn from 2020 to 2029 for the Choice and Affordability Fund to be allocated for non-government schools for a wide range of uses, including assisting regional and remote schools and “to deliver choice in communities”
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan described the $1.2bn Choice and Affordability Fund as “sector-blind”, despite the fact only independent and Catholic schools can apply.
It ostensibly is to help drought-affected private schools in rural, regional and remote areas. However data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that public schools teach 74% of children in outer regional areas, 77.5% of children in remote areas and 88% in very remote areas. None of these students will benefit from this Choice and Affordability Fund.
This announcement shows that the Morrison government has turned its back on the 2.5 million children attending public schools in Australia.
No funding in this $4.6 billion funding announcement will go to students in public schools, or to build and maintain essential school infrastructure. Private schools already have an existing $1.9 billion capital works special deal.
The nation’s 2.5 million public school students are now counting on state and territory education ministers to stand up and fight for public schools.
State and territory education ministers must not sign up to new funding deals with the Commonwealth unless the Morrison government offers a genuine needs-based deal that provides full funding of 100 per cent of the SRS for every public school in Australia.
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