Victorian state education inquiry reveals chronic underfunding devastating schools

Victorian state schools are in dire straits from a lack of funding, and an inquiry reveals some have no sporting grounds and are running classes in falling-down buildings.

Chronic underfunding is having a devastating impact on Victorian state schools, with a Victorian parliamentary inquiry revealing extensive use of 50-year old “temporary” classrooms.

Submissions received so far into the probe of government schools detail campuses with no ovals, no camps and falling-down buildings.

Dr James Thyer, council member at Northcote High, writes in his submission about the “structural cracking” of the school’s main hall, prohibiting its full use. The school also has teaching done in portables and no sporting grounds.

“Planned school camps have had to be abandoned due to the inability to cover the penalty rates for teachers for overnight stay camps,” he says.

Council member at Northcote High Dr James Thyer says ‘structural cracking’ in the school’s main hall prohibits its full use.

Dr Thayer notes that staff shortages have led to “stretched and disengaged teachers” and payments of up to $140,000 a year for casual relief teachers are made with “very little accountability”.

He notes that the wealthy Scotch College is given one third of the government funding allocated to the struggling Northcote High.

The inquiry was established by Eastern Victoria MP and former school teacher Melina Bath in July.

“The Education Department can’t sweep this under the carpet,” she said. “These issues need forensic investigation.”

As the Herald Sun reported on Thursday, a raft of desperate school leaders, teachers and parents have bombarded the inquiry, airing grievances about escalating student violence, mental health issues, unmanageable workloads and staff shortages.

The wealthy Scotch College is given one third of the government funding allocated to the struggling Northcote High.

In another submission, Brighton Primary school council representative Michelle Gibson rails about the lack of capital upgrades of her school, which has 15 portable classrooms, some of which are nearly 50 years old.

The school has received no capital funding since 2016.

Hannah Lewis, a state school teacher and parent, said classes are “left without a teacher on a daily basis”.

“Some schools have no oval. Some schools have ovals that are barren wastelands. Then you drive past a private school with four ovals of lush green grass,” she said.

It comes as a submission from state education lobby group Save Our Schools states some kids from disadvantaged schools are two years or more behind their wealthier peers, according to analysis of NAPLAN data.

Brighton Primary school council representative Michelle Gibson says the school has 15 portable classrooms, some of which are nearly 50 years old. Picture: Generic

Andrew Dalgleish, president of the Australian Principals Association, said the government school system was “under-funded every year by around $1.8bn” and the non-government school system was “over-funded by around $400m every year”.

It comes as some schools, such as those in Morwell, have 85 per cent of children who are developmentally vulnerable, according to Our Place and the Colman Education Foundation.

A damning submission by the Parliamentary Budget Office says state schools will be only funded to 95 per cent of their expected allocation unless a 5 per cent funding gap is closed.

A Department of Education spokesman said it was “fully engaged with the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into the State Education System in Victoria.

“The Department reviews and considers every submission made to the Inquiry and, where appropriate, follows up on specific issues raised.”

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said the submissions “paint a deeply troubling picture of what is occurring in our schools”.

“The Allan Government must take responsibility for the state of our education system and ensure our schools have access to the resources they need to help every student reach their full potential,” she said.