Greens cash splash a ‘tone deaf contribution’ to education policy debate

A $10bn Greens cash splash to make public schools completely free is a ‘tone deaf contribution’ to the education policy debate.

Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

The Greens’ $10bn cash splash to make public schools “completely free” is a “tone deaf contribution” to the education policy debate, with a misguided focus on extra funding rather than “how the money already in the system is actually spent”, according to experts from the nation’s top public policy think tanks.

Greens leader Adam Bandt is pushing to make public schools completely free by providing families with $800 per child for school supplies at the start of each year and abolishing all out-of-pocket fees for parents.

Centre for Independent Studies education director Glenn Fahey said the newly released policy was a “tone deaf contribution to education policy debate”, and felt like a “retrograde step for education policy”.

Centre for Independent Studies education director Glenn Fahey.

“Most ministers are now seriously talking about improving outcomes in the (education) system rather than fixating on the inputs into the system. Ten years ago, the only debate was about funding,” Mr Fahey said. “Since then, we have evolved to what works in the classroom, phonics, teaching practices that work, how to manage the behaviour crisis, and a whole series of positive contributions to education policy.”

He said there had “never been a better time for public school funding”, with the federal government increasing its contribution of public funding under new school funding agreements with states and territories.

“Ultimately the best way to advocate for the success and growth of the public school system is to focus on outcomes and scaling up good practice, not digging up ancient debates about public and private schools, which is ultimately divisive, zero-sum, and relies on lazy caricatures. It feels like we’re dragged backwards into education policy debate with these issues,” Mr Fahey said.

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Greens’ proposal to cover “back to school” expenses for public primary and secondary students, which has been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, would inflict a $7.6bn hit to the nation’s finances over the forward estimates. The policy to wipe out school fees would cost the budget $2.4bn over the forward estimates, based on an average out-of-pocket cost of $441 per student.

Grattan Institute education program director Jordana Hunter said by and large most government schools have strategies in place to help address financial barriers to parents sending their kids to school.

“Many schools run breakfast clubs, provide second-hand uniforms, and support families with free books and stationery, for example,” she said.

“Obviously, there is still work to do to get all government schools to 100 per cent of the agreed funding levels set out in the Gonski reforms. This should be a priority. But just as important is how the money already in the system is actually spent.

“Funding matters, but once you’ve reached an adequate level, and we’re probably getting fairly close to that in Australia, really what we need to focus on is how that money is used.”

Jordana Hunter, education program director at the Grattan Institute.

She said to ensure disadvantaged students reach foundational literacy and numeracy benchmarks, there needed to be a stronger focus on teaching quality.

“It’s less about IT devices and uniforms and small class sizes – one of the biggest cost drivers in schools – and more about having a really strong curriculum in place, really strong assessment schemes to track learning, and strong leadership to ensure teachers are all working together. These things don’t actually cost a lot of money in the overall scheme of things.”

Greens primary and secondary education spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne said “the quality of student learning is essential, and you can debate methods and pedagogy all you want, but unless public schools are fully staffed and resourced, and unless we remove financial barriers to participation, learning is unlikely to improve”.

“The consequences of systemic underfunding of public schools is that costs are shifted on to parents and carers, while overworked teachers are forced out of the classroom,” Senator Allman-Payne said.