School funding wars: PM’s bid to end fight for school cash

THE Morrison Government has made a bold move to end the education funding wars, injecting $680 million into a very select group of Queensland schools, but it’s prompted an angry response from the state’s Education Minister.

QUEENSLAND Catholic and independent schools will get a $680 million cash injection in the Morrison Government’s bid to end the education funding wars.

But the move to appease the private school sector has reignited the battle with state schools. Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace warns she will be demanding the same funding boost.

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The Queensland Catholic Education Commission welcomed the deal, while Independent Schools Queensland said it was promising but there was more work to be done.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday announced the $4.6 billion national funding deal, which will see de-identified tax returns of parents used to work out how much needs-based funding their school should get.

It includes $3.2 billion over 10 years in extra funds the new model says the schools should be getting, with $425 million of this to go to Queensland Catholic and independent schools.

There will also be a $1.2 billion “sector blind” fund set up from 2020 to help support low-fee private schools keep their charges to parents affordable, with $216 million of that for Queensland. A further $170 million will go towards transition costs.

Mr Morrison said it would provided extra support for non-government schools that were in need. “Such as schools, I should stress, in rural and regional and remote locations, schools in drought-affected areas or underperforming schools,” he said.

But the details of how this fund will work are still being negotiated between the government and schooling sectors.

Queensland Minister for Education Grace Grace. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

QCEC boss Lee-Anne Perry said Catholic schools were no longer being put at a disadvantage compared to other private schools.

“A fair system for all schools is all we have ever sought,” she said.

ISQ boss David Robertson said there were still issues which needed to be ironed out, including accurately matching parental income data.

Ms Grace said she had no issues with the funding deal for non-government schools, but warned she’d be seeking more cash for state schools to match.

“I don’t begrudge the non-government schools sector receiving adequate funding. We just want to ensure the Government sector receives its equal share of increased Federal funding,” she said.

Education Minister Dan Tehan welcomed the challenge.

“I am happy to fly to Brisbane and begin negotiating with her at any time that she would like as well,” he said.