More Compelling Evidence That Increased Funding Improves School Outcomes

Posted on Monday February 26, 2018

Seven new studies published in the last four months demonstrate that money matters in education, especially for disadvantaged students. Increased funding has large effects on student achievement and high school graduation rates. Numerous earlier studies have found similar effects. The problem in Australia is that past funding increases have been small and directed to school sectors with the least ne >> Read on...

NSW Public Schools Benefit Under Gonski 1.0

Posted on Wednesday February 21, 2018

Funding for public schools was boosted under the Gonski 1.0 funding plan by much more than for private schools and reversed the previous trend of funding cuts to public schools. However, public schools in NSW remain significantly under-funded while private schools are over-funde >> Read on...

Government Funding Increases Continue to Favour Private Schools

Posted on Monday February 12, 2018

New figures show that government funding increases continue to favour private schools over public schools despite the fact that public schools enrol the vast majority of disadvantaged students. The Commonwealth provided larger increases for private schools while state and territory governments continue to fail to adequately fund public schoo >> Read on...

Public School Funding in Tasmania Slashed by Labor and Liberal Governments

Posted on Saturday February 3, 2018

New school funding figures show that successive Tasmanian governments have slashed funding for public schools in recent years, while the Commonwealth has boosted funding for private schools. >> Read on...

ACT Private Schools Have the Mother of All Special Deals

Posted on Tuesday January 30, 2018

The $58 million adjustment fund for ACT private schools is the mother of all special deals. It will increase the already massive overfunding of several highly advantaged private schools and delay, or postpone indefinitely, reductions in over-funding. >> Read on...

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

Posted on Wednesday December 20, 2017

A recent report by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has slammed the Commonwealth Government for failing to ensure its funding of private school systems is distributed according to need. Yet, this failure is likely to continue under Gonski 2.0 as it has for the past decade or more. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 Is The Best Special Deal Private Schools Have Ever Had

Posted on Sunday December 10, 2017

Confidential data released by the Commonwealth Department of Education under FOI shows a massive increase in over-funding of private schools by 2027 and continuing under-funding of public schools. >> Read on...

Increased School Funding Increases Post-Secondary Attainment

Posted on Sunday November 26, 2017

A new academic study has found that increased expenditure on primary schools has positive long-term effects on educational attainment by increasing post-secondary participation and completion. >> Read on...

Elite Melbourne Private Schools to Get Big Funding Windfalls from Turnbull Government

Posted on Monday October 9, 2017

Wealthy Melbourne schools get funding windfall from massive increases in the number of disability students that are scarcely believable. They have been accused of gaming the new system for funding disability students. >> Read on...

Study Shows Beneficial Effects of Increased Expenditure on Pre-School and Schools

Posted on Tuesday September 5, 2017

Another major academic study shows that increased expenditure on disadvantaged pre-schoolers and disadvantaged schools improves school results and life outcomes. >> Read on...

Scotch College Property Buying Spree Supported by the Taxpayer

Posted on Thursday August 24, 2017

Taxpayer funding is supporting a property buying spree by Melbourne’s elite Scotch College to expand its gold-plated facilities. >> Read on...

The Soap Opera That Masquerades as Debate on Education Policy

Posted on Wednesday June 28, 2017

The debate over Gonski 2.0 shows that the politics of education policy in our country is fast becoming an unedifying soap opera. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 Entrenches Structural Incoherence and Inequity in School Funding

Posted on Tuesday June 20, 2017

Gonski 2.0 entrenches the structural incoherence of school funding so heavily criticised in the original Gonski report. Most private schools will be over-funded and most public schools will be under-funded. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 is a Fraud

Posted on Tuesday June 6, 2017

The Turnbull Government’s Gonski 2.0 funding plan is fraudulent. Public schools will get $9 billion less than under Gonski 1.0 while private schools get a new, grander, special deal whereby the large majority will be over-funded. >> Read on...

Birmingham Holds Funding for Public Schools to Ransom

Posted on Saturday June 3, 2017

In an outrageous move, the Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham, has threatened to cut funding to public schools if Gonski 2.0 is not passed by the Senate. >> Read on...

Indexation of the Schooling Resource Standard Should be Reviewed by an Independent Expert Panel

Posted on Thursday June 1, 2017

The indexation factor for the Schooling Resource Standard under Gonski 2.0 will likely result in schools not being adequately funded to meet rising wages and other costs. >> Read on...

Special Over-Funding Deal for ACT Catholic Systemic Schools to Continue

Posted on Tuesday May 30, 2017

The Turnbull Government has done a back-flip on its promise to abolish all special funding deals for private schools. A special deal which massively over-funds ACT Catholic systemic schools will continue for another four years. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 Abandons Public Schools and Increases Over-Funding of Private Schools

Posted on Monday May 29, 2017

Gonski 2.0 abandons public schools to the uncertainty of State and Territory government funding, which has been cut in recent years. Over-funding of private schools will be massively increased, not reduced. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 Provides Even More Over-Funding for Private Schools

Posted on Tuesday May 23, 2017

Private schools are set to get more over-funding under Gonski 2.0, not less. The majority of Independent and Catholic schools across Australia will be over-funded while the large majority of public schools will remain under-funded. >> Read on...

Gonski 2.0 is a 40% Gonski

Posted on Wednesday May 17, 2017

Gonski 2.0 is not what is seems. It is not a good deal for public schools. It will deliver only a miniscule increase in inflation-adjusted funding per student which is only about 40% of the Gonski 1.0 increase. >> Read on...

Tax Dodges and Subsidies for the Rich Rob Funding for Disadvantaged Schools

Posted on Tuesday April 18, 2017

New revelations on how the wealthy use secretive family trusts to avoid tax is more evidence of the avarice of the rich which robs disadvantaged schools and other public services of much-needed funding. The injustice is compounded by huge government subsidies for elite private schools funded by taxes paid by the rest of the community. >> Read on...

Private Schools are Over-funded by $4-6 Billion a Year

Posted on Wednesday April 5, 2017

Private schools are over-funded to the tune of $4-$6 billion a year. This huge amount of taxpayer funds would be far better used to support disadvantaged students in both public and private schools. >> Read on...

Huge Disparities Between the Resources of Disadvantaged and Advantaged Schools

Posted on Sunday March 26, 2017

PISA report shows huge disparities in shortages of educational staff and physical resources between advantaged and disadvantaged schools in Australia. This has to change if the results of disadvantaged students are to improve. >> Read on...

Tasmanian Governments Have Slashed Funding of Public Schools

Posted on Friday March 24, 2017

The Tasmanian Labor and Liberal Governments have slashed funding for public schools while Commonwealth Government funding increased. Total government funding for private schools has increased by five times that for public schools. >> Read on...

Tax Concessions for the Wealthy Deny Adequate Funding for Disadvantaged Students

Posted on Monday March 20, 2017

The latest Tax Expenditures Statement by the Federal Treasury shows that fully funding Gonski is easily affordable if the Government reduced tax concessions for wealthy. >> Read on...

The Barnett Govt Has Taken the Axe to WA Public Schools

Posted on Saturday March 4, 2017

The Barnett Government has taken the axe to funding of public schools while boosting its funding of private schools. It has abandoned disadvantaged students, the vast majority of whom attend public schools. >> Read on...

New Study Shows That More Money Improves Results of Disadvantaged Students

Posted on Wednesday February 8, 2017

Yet another new study shows that increased funding targeted at disadvantaged students significantly improves secondary school results. It provides further support for increased funding for disadvantaged students in Australia. >> Read on...

Labor Again Exposed as Morally Bankrupt on Private School Overfunding

Posted on Wednesday February 1, 2017

The unity ticket between Tanya Plibersek and Tony Abbott on continuing millions in overfunding for private schools was on display again this week. >> Read on...

Birmingham Misleads on School Funding and Outcomes

Posted on Thursday January 26, 2017

Despite the claims of the Federal Education Minister, funding matters for improving the results of disadvantaged students. Targeting funding increases to disadvantaged schools and students is fundamental to improving student achievement. >> Read on...

Birmingham Obfuscates on School Funding and Results

Posted on Wednesday January 25, 2017

Simon Birmingham has wilfully ignored the evidence about school funding and outcomes. >> Read on...

Birmingham is Wrong Again on School Funding and Outcomes

Posted on Sunday January 22, 2017

The Federal Education Minister’s claim about a vast increase in school funding is totally wrong. The increase per student between 2004-05 and 2013-14 was only 4.5 per cent, adjusted for inflation, and the large part of the increase went to private schools. >> Read on...

More School Funding Cuts by Stealth

Posted on Thursday December 8, 2016

Proposals before the national education ministers’ council meeting next week involve cutting school funding by stealth. The cuts are being disguised by fiddling with the rates of annual increases in funding provided by the current funding model. >> Read on...

Schools in Deep Water Over Mandatory Swim Lessons

Posted on Tuesday November 29, 2016

The Victorian Government is in deep water with school principals over the lack of funding for its new mandatory swimming lessons. >> Read on...

Private School Funding is Corrupted by Special Deals

Posted on Sunday November 20, 2016

Private school funding is corrupted by special deals and arrangements that provide several billion dollars in over-funding that contradict the principle of needs-based funding. >> Read on...

Private Schools Do Not Have an Entitlement to Taxpayer Funding

Posted on Wednesday November 9, 2016

Private schools are not automatically entitled to taxpayer funding. Government funding for private schools should be based on need. >> Read on...

Funding Increases for Victorian Elite Private Schools Far Exceed that for Disadvantaged Public Schools

Posted on Wednesday October 12, 2016

Total government funding per student in high fee, exclusive private schools in Victoria increased by nearly three times more than for the most highly disadvantaged public schools between 2009 and 2014. >> Read on...

Productivity Commission Fails to Lift the Bonnet on its Own Funding Figures

Posted on Sunday September 11, 2016

The Productivity Commission report on the National Education Evidence Base failed to lift the bonnet on its own funding figures and see that the funding engine is badly misfiring. >> Read on...

Victorian Government Schools Short Changed on Funds

Posted on Thursday September 8, 2016

A Victorian public school principal laments the poor state of funding in Victoria >> Read on...

Ken Boston Lambasts Political Failure on Gonski

Posted on Tuesday September 6, 2016

A key member of the Gonski School Funding Review, Ken Boston, has savaged the political failure to implement the Gonski plan. >> Read on...

Apple and Other Multinationals are Fleecing the Disadvantaged

Posted on Sunday September 4, 2016

Massive tax evasion by multinationals is fleecing the disadvantaged of decent health and education services. Despite Australia’s recent efforts to clamp down on tax evasion, much more needs to be done. >> Read on...

Birmingham’s Unscrupulous Duplicities on School Funding

Posted on Sunday August 14, 2016

A critical factor behind the stagnation in the NAPLAN results is the continuing failure of governments to spend money where it is most needed and will do most good. Funding for public schools has been cut while funding for private schools has increased. Simon Birmingham has engaged in unscrupulous duplicities about trends in school funding that are designed to avoid further investment in reducing disadvantage in education. >> Read on...

Ending Federal Funding of Public Education is Still on the Agenda

Posted on Tuesday April 19, 2016

Ending Federal funding of public schools is still on the agenda despite the claims of the Prime Minister and the Federal Education Minister that they are committed to public schools. COAG has agreed to consider the states taking full responsibility for public school funding in return for a share of personal income taxation. >> Read on...

Study Shows that Funding Increases for Disadvantaged Schools Boosts Results

Posted on Monday April 4, 2016

A new study shows that school finance reforms in the US led to larger increases in funding for low income school districts than for high income districts and that this increased the absolute and relative achievement of students in low income districts. >> Read on...

Can We Afford Gonski?

Posted on Wednesday March 30, 2016

The full Gonski funding plan is easily affordable by reducing tax concessions for the wealthy and clamping down on corporate tax avoidance. We cannot afford not to invest in Gonski because it will bring significant social and economic benefits. >> Read on...

Victorian Catholic Education Commission Favours High SES Schools in Funding Allocations

Posted on Monday March 21, 2016

A report by the Auditor-General of Victoria shows that report shows that the Catholic Education Commission is directing state government funding away from the lower socio-economic status schools to schools with a higher socio-economic status. There is also evidence that Catholic education authorities are favouring high SES schools in re-allocating Commonwealth funding. >> Read on...

Australia’s Unfair School Funding System Must Be Overhauled

Posted on Monday February 15, 2016

Updated school funding figures show that government funding per student in private schools has increased much faster than for public schools. Funding increases for many elite private schools have far exceeded those for many disadvantaged public schools. >> Read on...

Another Study Shows That Money Matters in Education

Posted on Wednesday February 3, 2016

A new review of research studies shows that money matters in education. There is a positive relationship between increased school funding and student achievement. >> Read on...

Labor’s Gonski Promise Puts the Heat on Turnbull

Posted on Sunday January 31, 2016

Labor’s commitment of $4.5 billion in school funding for 2018 and 2019 is a stark contrast to the Turnbull Government’s plan to ditch Gonski funding after 2017 and cut school funding in real terms. But, Labor must explain why it has reduced the $7 billion it promised in government. >> Read on...

Govt Has a Massive Potential Revenue Pool to Fund Gonski

Posted on Wednesday January 13, 2016

The Government could easily fund the $7 billion for the last two years of Gonksi. It has a potential revenue pool of at least $34 billion a year. >> Read on...

Well-off Private Schools Are Over-Funded by $3 Billion a Year

Posted on Tuesday January 5, 2016

Some 1,400 private schools are over-funded by taxpayers to the tune of $3 million a year. This money would be far better spent on supporting disadvantaged public and private schools. >> Read on...

Wealthy Private School Parents Evading Taxes

Posted on Sunday January 3, 2016

The wealthy claim that they are entitled to taxpayer funding to send their children to elite private schools because they pay taxes. However, it appears that many of them are evading taxes. >> Read on...

Turnbull Govt Fails on Improving Maths and Science

Posted on Thursday December 10, 2015

The Turnbull Government’s innovation statement virtually ignores school education. It proposes an increase in funding for maths and science in schools of only $54 per student over five years. This will do little to reverse Australia’s declining maths and science results. >> Read on...

More Evidence That Better School Results Increases Economic Growth

Posted on Thursday December 10, 2015

Another study shows that investing in school education brings a big economic return. >> Read on...

Top Public Service Mandarin Badly Bungled School Funding Figures

Posted on Wednesday November 25, 2015

The head of PM&C, Michael Thawley, badly bungled the figures on school funding earlier this month. The actual increase in real funding for schools is eight times less than he claimed. >> Read on...

David Gonski Turns Up the Pressure on Turnbull and Shorten

Posted on Monday November 9, 2015

David Gonski has turned up the pressure on the Federal Government and the Opposition to fully implement his funding model and reduce disadvantage in education. >> Read on...

Turnbull Creates New Optimism for Gonski

Posted on Sunday November 8, 2015

Malcolm Turnbull has created new hope for the full implementation of the Gonski funding plan to reduce disadvantage in education. >> Read on...

Why is Gonski Funding Worth Fighting For?

Posted on Friday November 6, 2015

Australia cannot afford to cut Gonski funding. Abandoning under-resourced schools and allowing disadvantaged children to continue without assistance will mean negative economic and social results for our future society. >> Read on...

Victorian Private Schools Get Funding Windfall from Andrews Government

Posted on Monday September 28, 2015

Victorian private schools will receive a hidden windfall dividend of nearly $200 million following the recent announcement of the Labor Government to increase funding for public schools by $747 million. >> Read on...

New Opportunity for Bi-Partisan Support for Gonski Funding

Posted on Monday September 14, 2015

The election of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister creates a new opportunity for bi-partisan support for the Gonski funding plan. It should not be missed. >> Read on...

Failure of Disadvantaged Students is not Inevitable

Posted on Tuesday September 8, 2015

Needs-based funding can boost the achievement of disadvantaged students. >> Read on...

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