‘We need to make sure the investment gets the best educational outcomes’
PM Malcolm Turnbull today visited an inner west Sydney school and said he fully expected his education spending to pass through parliament — despite any Catholic system backlash.
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Scroll down for the full list of the 24 most ‘over-funded’ NSW schools
PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared Australian school students needed to be “top of the class” to combat slipping international standards and the new funding formula announced yesterday would achieve better outcomes.
Visiting inner western North Strathfield Public School this morning, Mr Turnbull said he was confident he would get the legislation for the $18.6 billion funding through parliament.
Among the 24 Australian schools deemed “over-funded” by government statistics and likely to lose funding under the legislation are 13 Sydney schools.
They are Loreto Kirribilli, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney, St Aloysius’ College in Kirribilli, Mount St Benedict College in Pennant Hills, Northern Beaches Christian School, Stella Maris College in Manly, Brigidine College St Ives, Oakhill College in Castle Hill, St Augustine’s College Brookvale, William Clarke College in Kellyville, Covenant Christian School in Belrose, Eastern Suburbs Montessori School and Queenwood School for Girls in Mosman.
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Mr Turnbull said the next step was to ensure Australia received the best educational outcomes for the money invested.
“For those little kids here today and thousands more like them we owe it to them to ensure that the public money we are investing in schools and their future gives them the best educational outcomes so they are at the top of the class,” he said.
Mr Turnbull rejected criticism from the Catholic education sector that they were not consulted.
He said the new funding arrangements would result in a 3.7 per cent increase in funding to the Catholic schools over a decade.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham, also visiting the school, said he had had numerous meetings with the Catholic sector and other educational stakeholders.
“Unsurprisingly people who didn’t get everything they asked for might sometimes complain about the consultation,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean there wasn’t consultation.”
He said North Strathfield Public School would receive an extra $70,000 of funding in the next year.
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Beyond the Top 24 schools likely to lose funding under Gonski 2.0, another 353 over-funded schools will see their funding “go backwards”.
In comparison, 9048 schools will receive more resources.
Scroll down for The Top 24 Most ‘Over-Funded’ Schools in Australia list
The NSW government said Canberra’s plan to overhaul schools funding would leave the state’s schools worse off by “millions and millions” of dollars over the next two years.
Education Minister Rob Stokes today said NSW didn’t have the capacity to make up the shortfall, and he called on the Turnbull government to “honour the deal that’s already been struck”.
“Our frustration and our disappointment is we have certain legitimate expectations — in fact, a promise of increased funding over next year and the year after that — and it looks as if we are going to be sorely disappointed,” Mr Stokes told ABC TV.
The state minister will meet his federal counterpart later today to discuss the plan but said so far “the level of consultation has not been ideal”.
The Catholic education sector, meanwhile, is angry a majority of its schools are on the hit list for cuts, saying it is unfair.
Parents with children at those schools may face fee hikes as a result of the funding formula changes, Catholic education authorities said.
“It appears that a majority of the 24 schools targeted by the Minister for a cut in funding are independent Catholic schools,” acting Executive Director Danielle Cronin said.
Ms Cronin criticised a “lack of consultation” and a “lack of detail” in the funding announcement.
“It is unprecedented for a federal government to announce a 10-year school funding plan without consulting the second largest provider of school education in the country,” she said.
“We are concerned that Catholic schools in some states and territories may be forced to raise fees as a result of this government’s funding changes.”
THE 24 MOST ‘OVER-FUNDED’ SCHOOLS IN THE AUSTRALIA
1. Loreto Kirribilli, NSW — 196%
2. Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, NSW — 186%
3. St Aloysius’ College, NSW — 183%
4. Mount St Benedict College, NSW — 156%
5. Radford College, ACT — 151%
6. Daramalan College, ACT — 147%
7. Hillbrook Anglican School, QLD — 139%
8. Marist College Canberra, ACT — 136%
9. Northern Beaches Christian School, NSW — 134%
10. Stella Maris College, NSW — 134%
11. Brigidine College St Ives, NSW — 132%
12. Oakhill College, NSW — 129%
13. Burgmann Anglican School, ACT — 126%
14. Brindabella Christian College, ACT — 122%
15. St Augustine’s College Brookvale, NSW — 120%
16. William Clarke College, NSW — 119%
17. Covenant Christian School, NSW — 118%
18. Eastern Suburbs Montessori School, NSW — 117%
19. Melbourne Grammar School, VIC — 117%
20. Queenwood School for Girls, NSW — 115%
21. Cannon Hill Anglican School, QLD — 113%
22. Canberra Girls Grammar, ACT — 110%
23. Canberra Rudolf Steiner School, ACT — 110%
24. Canberra Grammar School, ACT — 107%
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