Victorian schools underfunding: Is your school missing out?

Victorian public schools are the most underfunded of any state in Australia, new data reveals. Check to see how your school fares.

Underfunding of government schools by almost $2000 per student is exacerbating teacher shortages and overcrowded classes.

Schools could employ an average of 12 more teachers and reduce average class sizes by five students if they received their full allocation of government funding, new figures from the Australian Education Union show.

Trevor Cobbold, convener of public education lobby group Save Our Schools, said Victoria’s shortfall “could exceed $1 billion per year given the current funding agreement with the Commonwealth”.

A key area of contention is the fact that the Commonwealth agreement allows states to count items such as depreciation and rural school transport in their allocation of funds.

The Australian Education Union has urged the federal and state government to bring schools up to the Gonski Review’s recommended funding level of 100 per cent.

Figures provided through senate estimates show Victorian public school students only received $17,704 per student in 2021 – less than Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia.

AEU Federal president Correna Haythorpe said: “Each year, every public school student in Melbourne is missing out on $1971 because of the failure of the Federal Government to ensure that every school is funded to a minimum of 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).”

“This shocking figure should concern every Melbourne parent and community member. It represents the funding shortfall for local public schools,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“This funding could be used to employ additional teachers and support staff, and to provide the smaller class sizes and additional learning programs that every student deserves.”

AEU Victorian Branch president Meredith Peace highlighted the benefits that would flow to local public school students if the federal government properly and fairly funded Melbourne public schools.

“Additional funding would provide more specialist teachers, more professional development and additional time for teaching and learning for all schools,” she said.

Mr Cobbold said the $1.3 billion underfunding by the Victorian government “will continue to at least 2029 under the current arrangements”.

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino.

“Victorian public schools are the most underfunded in Australia, apart from those in the Northern Territory,” he said.

“They are only funded at 88 per cent of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) while private are funded at nearly 100 per cent of their SRS.”

A Department of Education, Skills spokesman said: “Current school funding arrangements were agreed to by all states and territories and lock-in record school funding between 2018 and 2029.”

“Under the Quality Schools Package, Victorian schools will receive a record $79.3 billion in Commonwealth funding over this period,” he said.

Education Minister James Merlino said: “I have repeatedly asked the Commonwealth do its fair share and fund the final 5 per cent of the schooling resource standard for government schools – and it has consistently refused to do so”

“We’re delivering an extra $7.2 billion for government schools’ teaching and learning programs, grounds, maintenance and utilities – raising Victoria’s contribution to the SRS to 75 per cent over the next decade,” he said.