Qld underfunds state schools, overfunds private schools

Queensland private schools were overfunded by $590 per student, while the public schools were underfunded by $3049, a new report shows. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Queensland is one of the worst states in the country for underfunding public schools and overfunding private schools, according to a new national education report.

The report – produced by economist Adam Rorris and published by the Australian Education Union – measures school funding based on the Schooling Resource Standard, which is the minimum level governments agreed in 2013 was required to meet the needs of students.

The Schooling Resource Standard was recommended by the Gonski Review in 2012 and adopted by governments in 2013 to determine the minimum level of funding necessary for each school or school system to meet the needs of their students.

The current bilateral agreements between the Federal Government and each state and territory which specify the share of the Schooling Resource Standard each agreed to contribute, will expire at the end of 2024.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has recommitted to closing the education gap with the new set of agreements next year, and ensuring every school gets all its fair funding level.

The funding disparity based on Schooling Resource Standard benchmarks. Photo: Supplied.

Based on the Schooling Resource Standard benchmarks, Queensland underfunded public schools by $1.7 billion in 2023, and overfunded private schools by $179 million.

It was the third-worst state for underfunding public schools closely behind NSW and Victoria, and had the second highest private school overfunding behind NSW.

In terms of dollars per student, Queensland private schools were overfunded by $590 per student, while the state’s public schools were underfunded by $3049 per student.

The Northern Territory was by far the worst in terms of dollars per student, with a public school student short by $7978 and a private school student underfunded by $499.

The per-student breakdown. Photo: Supplied.

The richest schools are set to be the most overfunded by the Federal Government in the next five years, with Brisbane Grammar School expected to be overfunded by $11 million.

Mr Rorris, the report author, said public schools in all states and territories across the country are behind in terms of minimum funding, except for the ACT.

“When we say ‘behind’, we’re not just saying they could do with a little bit more money, they are actually below the minimum funding required for schools to realistically deliver to not all, but just 80 per cent, of their students,” he said.

The public school shortfall and private schools overfunding by percentage. Photo: Supplied.

Mr Norris said for a Queensland public school with around 1000 students, his research showed it had a funding shortfall in 2023 of around $3 million.

“I mean $3 million is 30 teachers, or it could be 20 teachers and five counsellors,” he said.

“When you add $1 million, or $2 million, or $3 million – that is when you have the cream on top and begin to make a difference as a principal for the kids where it’s not working.

“I mean, 60 or 70 per cent of kids are going to get there and meet the minimum learning benchmarks, it is that other 30 or 40 per cent where it becomes expensive and that is where that buffer of extra money makes the difference.

“As a public school principal, you can target your support better in literacy or numeracy with that extra money, or if you recognise that you need to run a better music program to be competitive with that private school in your area, you can do that.”

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said with the Schooling Resource Standard bilateral agreements and National School Reform Agreement both up for renewal in 2024, now was the time for all levels of government to fix these issues.

“We’ve got a public system which is being denied the minimum resource standard that all governments have agreed is the cost of educating our children, and we have a private school system that will be overfunded by almost $3 billion in the next five years,” she said.

“The reality on the ground is that when one in ten children across the nation are underfunded that plays out with escalating workloads for teachers with the workforce crisis we’ve got, and our capacity to make sure every child has the support at school they need to be successful.”

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the government is committed to working with the states and territories to get every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level.

“Funding is important. But so is what it is spent on,” he said.

“That’s why the government asked an expert panel led by Dr Lisa O’Brien to advise Education Ministers on what reforms should be tied to funding in the next agreement.

“The current funding agreement doesn’t include targets or reforms to close the education gap. “The next agreement will.”