Gonski hit list: elite schools set to lose

More than 100 schools will receive less federal funding as part of the PM’s education reforms | SCHOOL SEARCH

Ginger Fogarty, Ariana Papandroulakis, Elizabeth Dyke and Emma Anderson with Perth Presbyterian Ladies’ College deputy principal Andrew Cousins. Picture: Colin Murty

More than 100 prestigious private schools will receive less federal funding as part of Malcolm Turnbull’s education reforms, including the Sydney institutions of Cranbrook, Ascham, Kambala and the Kincoppal-Rose Bay School in the Prime Minister’s electorate. Under the government’s $18.6 billion changes, 344 schools will lose funding under Gonski 2.0 compared to Labor’s existing model. This includes 24 previously identified independent schools, 27 Catholic systemic schools in the ACT, 151 government schools in the Northern Territory, and 142 non-government schools.

The Greens are calling on the Coalition to ensure the NT does not go backwards, while the ­government has dedicated $69 million over the decade to help the state adjust to the new ­arrangements.

Using Education Department data tabled in the Senate, The Australian can today reveal the so-called “hit list’’ of independent schools to receive less money under the government’s proposed measures than they would under Labor. The schools — which will only be affected if the reforms to eliminate 27 “special deals’’ win Senate backing — include those where parents do the heavy lifting with fees, such as the Prime Minister’s alma mater, Sydney Grammar School.

Under the changes, Saint ­Ignatius’ College, Riverview — the alma mater of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and former prime minister Tony Abbott — will receive $3475 a student in federal funding next year, and $3979 at the end of the decade.

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But some school leaders have praised the reforms, including Perth’s Presbyterian Ladies’ College deputy principal Andrew Cousins, who welcomed the prospect of a more equitable funding system. The federal per-student amount will be $3010 next year to $3990 in 2027. “Fundamentally the deals which have been done with the various states and the Catholic education system have led to great inequities in schools throughout Australia,’’ principal Kate Hadwen said. “The more special deals we can eliminate the better. A child’s education should never be dependent upon a sector’s lobbying abilities.’’

Funding for the 142 independent schools does not go backwards at the end of the decade, unlike the previously identified 24 elite schools. But the 142 independent schools do experience a slower annual growth rate in their funding, receiving an annual ­indexation rate below 3.56 per cent for the first four years of the changes. The Australian has identified 103 of the 142 schools, and most of the remainder are ­believed to be Catholic systemic schools which are funded as part of a system.

The Gonski 2.0 changes are designed to fund all schools based on the same formula. Non-government schools will receive 80 per cent of their funding entitlement — called the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) — from the federal government by 2027. State schools would receive 20 per cent. Under the changes, NT would receive 24.4 per cent of its SRS from federal funding this year.

Greens education spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said: “Public schools perform an extraordinary service to struggling communities across the Northern Territory and their funding should not be allowed to go backwards. I call on the government to take some of the money that was going to wealthy private schools under Labor and use that to guarantee that current funding to NT public schools will be maintained and increased annually in line with indexation.’’

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek said the policy was a “fraud’’ but Education Minister Simon Birmingham said: “Funding for government schools in the Northern Territory will increase by $39m over the next four years and almost $69m over 10 years.’’

The National Catholic Education Commission argues that 619 of its systemic schools receive less money next year compared with this year.

The independent Schools Council of Australia believes 400 of its schools will feel the effect of the changes, and executive director Colette Colman said it was “not realistic for the independent sector to call for a level playing field for funding for all non-­government schools and not ­accept the impact of the changes on independent schools’’.

Australian Association of Christian Schools executive officer Martin Hanscamp supports the changes because they provide fairness, “despite having schools that will receive reduced funding than what they would if it’s status quo … AACS encourages the Greens to get behind this pivotal legislation possibly through negotiating for a quicker transition for ‘needy’ schools and an independent review body, worthy amendments in AACS’s view’’ .

Bill Rusin, principal of Covenant Christian School in the Sydney suburb of Belrose, one of the 24 independent schools that go backwards, said “for us, we were a little surprised we were going to be almost the worst hit of all the surrounding schools.

“We don’t want to cry poor-mouth. We will survive but we want them to look at the algorithm that they used to calculate the capacity to pay.”

A Senate inquiry report is due today on the changes. Nick Xenophon yesterday said he would like to “think that with some sensible compromises’’ the government’s legislation could pass the Senate.

Additional reporting: Tessa Akerman