This statement from Save Our Schools (SOS) links the recently-released NAPLAN results with the ongoing funding stand-off between state and federal governments. Written by economist Trevor Cobbold, the summary below gives the ‘headline’ message, with more detail available in the full statement, (click the button below.)
The latest NAPLAN results reveal the enormity of the challenge facing Australia’s school system. They show vast achievement gaps between rich and poor, a huge proportion of equity group cohorts not achieving national proficiency standards and a very large proportion in need of additional support in their learning. The new results intensify the pressure on the Federal and state/territory governments to fully fund public schools because these schools enrol over 80% of disadvantaged students and 91% of disadvantaged schools are public schools. Education ministers must end their disgraceful wrangling over who pays for what and co-operate to fully fund public schools and address the vast inequity in school outcomes.
They should adopt a simple 3-point plan:
- The Commonwealth Government increase its share of funding for public schools from 20% to 25% of their SRS.
- State governments renounce the accounting tricks in the current agreements and increase their share of funding public schools to 75% of their SRS.
- The Commonwealth and state governments end their over-funding of private schools.
