Tuesday 24 May 2016

Australian Federal Election 2016: something is seriously wrong when private school students get more in government support than the government's own students


The Australian Constitution grants the Commonwealth no specific powers in relation to education. Nevertheless under Section 96 of the Constitution it has partially funded government and non-government schools since the Menzies era, with recurrent funding for private school students beginning in 1970 under Liberal Prime Minister John Gorton.

Some of these private schools belong to organizations holding considerable wealth. The Sydney Catholic archdiocese alone controls funds worth more than $1.2 billion and has regularly made multi-million dollar tax-free profits and nationally the Australian Catholic Church is thought to be worth an est. $100 billion.

On 18 May 2016 The Age reported on the growth in that federal government funding for non-government schools:

Something is seriously wrong when private school students get more in government support than the government's own students. Just as it is when private superannuants get more in government support than the government's own pensioners.
Yet it's happening, and neither side of politics wants to talk about it.
You can check out examples in your own suburb by scouring the MySchool website.
In Balwyn, the government-run Balwyn Primary gets $7214 of government funds per student, while down the road the privately run St Bede's Parish Primary gets $7974, plus what it charges parents.
In Preston, Newlands Primary gets $10,362 but Sacred Heart gets $11,488. In Spotswood, Spotswood Primary gets $8008 while St Margaret Mary's gets $11397. In Ballarat, Ballarat North Primary gets $8158 while St Patrick's gets $8499.
That's by no means a complete list, and the schools I have mentioned are roughly matched for size and socio-economic status.
Right now, on average, Catholic and independent private schools get less per student than government schools, but if present trends continue they'll overtake government schools in four years. An analysis by a former president of the NSW Secondary Principals Council, Chris Bonnor, and education researcher Bernie Shepherd entitled Private School, Public Cost finds that by 2020 the typical Catholic student will receive $850 more than the typical government student, and the typical independent student $100 more.

In the Lower Clarence Valley (Page electorate) on the NSW North Coast similar examples can be found.

Net recurrent income 2014
$ Total
$ Per student

Australian Government recurrent funding
969,340
10,536

State/territory government recurrent funding
207,246
2,253

Fees, charges and parent contributions
98,101
1,066

Other private sources
55,836
607
Total gross income
(excluding income from government capital grants)
1,330,523
14,462


Net recurrent income 2014
$ Total
  $ Per student

Australian Government recurrent funding
607,352
1,586

State/territory government recurrent funding
3,030,464
7,912

Fees, charges and parent contributions
86,124
225

Other private sources
7,982
21

Total gross income
(excluding income from government capital grants)
3,731,922
9,744


Net recurrent income 2014
$ Total
$ Per 
student

Australian Government recurrent funding
1,346,008
9,970


State/territory government recurrent funding
540,393
4,003


Fees, charges and parent contributions
150,565
1,115


Other private sources
56,717
420


2,093,683


15,509


Net recurrent income 2014
$ Total
$ Per student
Australian Government recurrent funding
366,999
1,932

State/territory government recurrent funding
1,738,097
9,148

Fees, charges and parent contributions
61,132
322

Other private sources
42,194
222

Total gross income
(excluding income from government capital grants)
2,208,421
11,623


No comments: