Qld Budget 2023: Greens target private school funding

There is pressure on the government to scale back private school funding in next week’s state budget, with advocates saying public money should be for public schools only. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Pressure if mounting on the state government to scale back funding towards Queensland’s independent and Catholic schools ahead of Tuesday’s budget.

More than $820m in general recurrent funds went to non-state schools, some being Queensland’s most wealthiest, according to state budget papers for 2022-23.

A Department of Education spokesman, however, defended the funding for non-state schools, and said it would continue to support the sector in line with federal funding agreement obligations.

Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman argued taxpayer money spent on private schools could be better spent fixing and expanding state school infrastructure and resources.

Mr Berkman said it could also help reduce overcrowding, cut down out-of-pocket cost of uniforms, subject levies, excursions and extra-curricular activities.

“Everyday families are forking out thousands of dollars a year to send their kids to state schools, while the government gives away taxpayer money to some of the wealthiest schools in Queensland,” Mr Berkman said.

Mr Berkman said the Greens had written to Treasurer Cameron Dick ahead of the state budget asking the government to fund state schools to meet the full Schooling Resource Standard.

“Public money should be for public schools. Every kid in Queensland deserves a free, high-quality education regardless of their income or background,” he said.

Recurrent state government grants for Queensland’s eight grammar schools in 2022 totalled in at nearly $23m, along with nearly $75m in federal grants.

Brisbane Grammar School reported a total revenue of $70m last year, while neighbour Brisbane Girls Grammar School had a total revenue of nearly $56m.

Independent Schools Queensland chief executive Chris Mountford said the sector provided alternative education for more than 140,000 children.

Mr Mountford said parental fees for independent education – which made up much of school incomes – meant the governments saved an estimated $940m.

“Last year the total recurrent funding to all non-government schools accounted for roughly $830m out of a $16.5bn total education budget,” Mr Mountford said.

He said more than half of Queensland’s independent schools were small, with the majority charging $5000 or less in fees per year.

Brisbane Grammar School reported a total revenue of $70 million last year. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning

Further, Mr Mountford said the ongoing financial viability of its schools depended on state and federal government funding, and the continued capacity of parents to pay fees.

“Many of these families are facing the same cost-of-living pressures as the rest of us and making sacrifices to provide the education they aspire for their child,” Mr Mountford said.

He said the state government funding covers operational items for schools such as transport assistance schemes, student with disability targeted programs, and textbooks and resource allowances.

The Department of Education spokesman said it would continue to support the non-state school sector in line with federal funding agreement obligations.

The spokesman defended the non-state school funding saying claims of preferential treatment were not supported with evidence.

“Under its current funding agreement with the Commonwealth, the state government has increased its funding to state schools year on year by 5 to 7 per cent between 2018 and 2020, with an additional $4 billion in funding between 2018–19 and 2022–23,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman said state school students had access to textbook allowances, transport assistance schemes, free or subsidised digital devices while its water safety grant was recently quadrupled.

The spokesman pointed to the latest data from the Report on Government Services which showed the total state and federal expenditure was $19,883 per student in Queensland state schools.

This compared to a lower per student amount of $13,252 per student of non-state schools, who receive 80 per cent of funds from the Commonwealth.

Schools campaigner Trevor Cobbold said funding for private schools should be conditional on meeting social obligations and education standards.

Mr Cobbold, the national convener for Save Our Schools, said many wealthy, exclusive high-fee private schools did not need taxpayer funding.

“It is a complete waste and simply adds to their huge resource advantage over public schools,” he said.

“It is funding that would be better used to support disadvantaged students and schools where additional funding will have much greater impact on improving education outcomes than the taxpayer money being squandered on wealthy schools.”

Negotiations for the next federal funding agreement are scheduled to be delivered in October this year.

The department spokesman said the state government planned to negotiate with federal counterparts to get state school funding up to 100 per cent of the School Resourcing Standard.