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With the start of the school year, it should not surprise that the hoary debate about school funding is alive and well in the pages of the Woke press. Julie Szego (The Age 2/2/23) argues non-government schools are overfunded, compared to needy government schools, and the imbalance must be redressed.
More extreme critics of Catholic and independent schools go as far as arguing parents sending their children to non-government schools should not be financially supported by governments as only state schools deserve funding. Jenna Price (SMH 31/1/23) argues, based on a recent Four Corners slanted episode attacking a number of Opus Dei linked schools in Sydney, “There is no better time to defund private schools than now”.
Whereas government schools are described as “values-led”, in relation to non-government schools Price argues “If there are values, it is about keeping power in the hands of the wealthy and already powerful”.
In its submission to the Gonski Review of school funding, established when Julia Gillard was the education minister, the Australian Education Union argues, “We believe there is no pre-existing, pre-determined entitlement to public funding; i.e. there is no a priori justification for public funding of private schools”. More recently, in a media release 20th January, the AEU professes its astonishment that ‘record funding’ continues to get headlines when teachers across the nation know that this funding has not gone to public schools but to the private sector”.
According to 2019-20 figures published on the ACARA website government schools receive $20,182 per student in recurrent funding from commonwealth, state and territory governments while non-government schools only receive $13,189.
At approximately 34 per cent of enrolments, every student who attends a Catholic or independent school, because they are not fully funded by governments, save taxpayers billions of dollars every year. One estimate by Independent Schools Australia puts that saving at $5.5 billion annually. Parents sending their children to Catholic and independent schools, in addition to paying non-government school fees, as taxpayers also contribute to the cost of financing state schools. Based on equity it’s only fair such parents receive some government support.
When arguing non-government schools are over-funded it’s important to understand the amount of government funding is adjusted by a school’s capacity to contribute. More privileged schools receive far less than schools serving less affluent communities.
The reality is for every one wealthy, privileged non-government school, like Geelong Grammar and Sydney’s The King’s School, there are hundreds of non-government schools, especially Catholic parish schools, serving low- to middle-class socio-economic communities.
Often ignored in debates about funding is the right parents have to choose where their children go to school and what sort of education they receive. Parents are their child’s primary care givers and have the right to ensure schools reflect their moral and ethical beliefs and values. As stated by the ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’, governments should respect “the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children (is) in conformity with their own convictions”.
Unlike government schools, non-government schools are religious in nature, with the overwhelming majority being either Catholic schools or independent schools affiliated with various religions ranging from Anglican to non-denominational and Islamic to Baptist. Given the secular nature of government schools, where religion is not a significant part of what is taught, plus the importance of religious freedom, it’s only fair and just that religious parents are not financially penalised as a result of school choice.
Underpinning the school funding debate is the belief socio-economic status is the prime determinant of educational outcomes and by cutting back funding to non-government schools and prioritising needy government schools more disadvantaged students will achieve success. The evidence proves otherwise. The Director of Education and Skills at the OECD Andreas Schleicher in PISA 2018 Insights and Instructions argues “social disadvantage does not automatically lead to poor educational performance for students and schools”.
The Australian academic Gary Marks in Education Social Background and Cognitive Ability argues socioeconomic background “is only moderately associated with educational outcomes”. Based on the PISA international test results Marks puts the figure at 7-15 percent.
Research suggests there are far more important factors contributing to educational success than socio-economic status. Such factors include students’ ability and motivation, a positive school environment, a challenging curriculum and effective pedagogy plus committed teachers who are subject experts.
The recent Productivity Commission report evaluating the current National School Reform Agreement concludes, despite the additional billions invested, educational outcomes have not significantly improved.
It’s time to move on from fruitless debates about school funding and focus on the best way ensure all students, regardless of home background, achieve to the best of their ability. Making schools more competitive by adopting vouchers and giving schools autonomy is also the way ahead.
Dr Kevin Donnelly taught in secondary schools for 18 years and in 2014 he co-chaired the review of the national curriculum. Kevin also edited Cancel Culture And The Left’s Long March
1] “Research suggests there are far more important factors contributing to educational success than socio-economic status. Such factors include students’ ability and motivation, a positive school environment, a challenging curriculum and effective pedagogy plus committed teachers who are subject experts.” The research ignores what was perhaps the most important factor for me – my parents’ determination that I would get a better education that either of them had.
2] A bit of history. By the 1960s, Catholic schools, which relied on funds raised by the church in their local community, were suffering. They didn’t have enough teachers, school buildings were old and classrooms were overcrowded.
In 1962 St Brigid’s Primary School in Goulburn was told that it needed to upgrade its toilet blocks right away, to meet health and safety standards. But the local Catholic community couldn’t afford to fix the problem. In what became known as a strike, the Catholic community decided to close all seven of Goulburn’s Catholic schools for six weeks.
On 16 July 1962 about 2000 Catholic school children arrived at Goulburn’s six government schools, but the schools could take only 640 students..
The school closures drew national media attention.. Soon after, The Menzies government announced government aid for private schools.
Will we ignore history, at least for education, and listen to the AEU? Not likely. Even modern Labor politicians can count votes, if not much else.
Thanks DougD.
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I was trying to think of that example at Goulburn. You’ve saved me the effort. The example you’ve given is really quite telling when you think about it.
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If it weren’t for independent and Catholic schools – if they didn’t exist – the government would have a lot fewer dollars for the state sector per student.
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Why? Because for every student that left the independent and Catholic sectors the government would be obliged by law to educate them in a government school.
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That would take close to an extra $7000 per year per student for those students (compared with what it costs now) out of the education budget for every student who left the independent and private sectors. So there’d be fewer funds available for every student in the government sector.
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So apart from any equity, diversity in our education systems and parental freedom issues it simply makes very sound financial sense to keep the non government school sectors afloat.
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Any weakening in their position to the extent that they lost students would lead to added pressure on the finances of government schools.
Well said Dr Donnelly. Our government schools have a lot of problems. If only they would stick to teaching the basics and not the latest woke nonsense. I fear for my grandchildren.
Price trots out the old, worn-out canard about privilege and power in private schools. Its tripe. What isn’t tripe is that private schools often have superior discipline, high expectations of their pupils (I hate the word ‘student’ for primary and secondary school attendees), and committed teachers, often with advanced degrees in their field, and are paid for it. What they don’t have is the leveling socialist nonsense of Price and her pals.
I attended a state school in an ordinary suburb on city outskirts; but we were blessed with dedicated teachers, many with Masters degrees in their field, in senior school a collegial atmosphere, and expectations of performance. It worked well.
Methinks all “youse” commentators ”av missed the point of this essay. It is crying out for comments on the PICTURES…The boy in the dunces hat and the girls at the blackboard. The comments on the board are intended to draw out the more timid commentators.
What these bigots forget is that it was the Catholic Church that brought education to remote country schools staffed by nuns, working for room and board, long before State schools were provided to those communities. In the late 1950s, the NSW Education Department still had to effectively drag teachers kicking and screaming to work in country schools, something they achieved by making a tour in a country school a mandatory requirement for promotion eligibility.
How about a fixed amount of dollars for each student that can go to the school chosen by the parents? Additional money would probably be needed for severely handicapped students.
JMJ
1) Get the teachers Federation and politics out of the learning environment.
2) unlearn – teach children why (Y) and to have pride in Australia and being Australian ( as distinct from gay vanity – pride) that means defining the real meaning of being truthful and honest (fair)
Teaching kids the value of loyalty which is in essence, love. Warn kid’s of the left wing Marxists view of loyalty is actually to be disloyal, which when one looks up the Wrecking dictionary, is in fact not love, but hatred.
Feb16 2023 ESST 10.27am
Kevin Donnelly, once again you have made a worthy contribution as an advocate for private independent schooling, many thanks.
Too bad that the public figure David Gonski, so involved in a funding revolution for state schools, was not as helpful to independent schools even though he always attended a private school. He recalls that at Sydney Grammar School in year 8 he met Malcolm Turnbull, who was a year younger, and on the same team they debated together with much success for 5 years.
The Gonski family who emigrated to Australia from South Africa in 1961 have done well in business and philanthropy. David in 1972 started a Batchelor of Laws and Batchelor of Commerce degree at he UNSW. He claims he was pleased to see Gough Whitlam elected in 1972! [Ref: Í gave a Gonski’, selected speeches by David Gonski]
The Age has arguably had an anti Catholic culture for a very long time.
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It was arguably even anti Catholic when The Age was a good paper.
I was a boarder at St Patrick’s College in Goulburn doing my Leaving Certificate at the time. 5th year was excluded from the strike but I remember a friend in 4th year enrolling in French at the High School when he did not do French. I asked why and he said that I should see the teacher who was a honey. I might add that in my secondary schooling I was in classes of up to 43 students, not all genii. I further add they all passed the Leaving and many won scholarships. Pats was poor but had excellent teachers, a limited number of subjects and a great morale. The latter three are the key ingredients for good education.