Elite schools’ spending on flash facilities exposed

Five elite private schools splurged more money on flash new facilities than governments spent on half of Australia’s public schools collectively in 2021, a new analysis reveals.

Barker College, in northern Sydney, has been approved for a $150 million redevelopment.

Five elite private schools splurged more money on flash new facilities than governments spent on half of Australia’s public schools collectively in 2021, a new analysis reveals.

In a forensic analysis of “stark and shocking inequity’’ in school spending, the Australian Education Union has accused private schools of “diverting’’ public funding earmarked for running costs to pay for over-the-top ­facilities instead.

“Some private schools spend more on buildings than entire state and territory public school systems,’’ its report states.

Private schools spent twice as much as public schools in terms of average annual capital spending per student from 2012 to 2021, the AEU report shows.

It singles out Cranbrook School in Sydney, where parents pay $46,500 a year in tuition fees, for spending $63.5m on a new pool and expanded fitness and drama facilities in 2021.

The union claims Cranbrook spent more money than governments spent on 2549 public schools that were educating 472,000 students.

Cranbrook is among five public schools that spent more on capital works in 2021 than half the public schools in Australia combined.

The other schools singled out by the AEU are Loreto Mandeville Hall and Caulfield Grammar in Melbourne, and the Sydney schools of Barker College and Abbotsleigh College.

AEU president Correna Haythorpe demanded the Albanese government boost spending on capital works for public schools, as part of the 10-year funding deals it is negotiating with state and territory governments this year. “While private schools, fuelled by government overfunding, are buying office towers and building $80m Scottish ­castles, public schools in every state and the Northern Territory are underfunded and increasingly left with demountable classrooms to cope with rising enrolments,’’ she said.

“While private schools will get almost $1bn in capital funding from the commonwealth over the next four years, public schools will get nothing after this year unless the Albanese government extends its one-year school upgrade fund.

“We aren’t calling for Olympic pools and polo fields. We are calling for safe, high quality classrooms, libraries and learning spaces that enable teachers and students to do their best.’’

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe.

The AEU report, to be released at its annual conference on Friday, says high-fee private schools regard taxpayer contributions towards running costs as “free money’’ that can be diverted to build flash facilities.

Its analysis of government funding data shows that 50 private schools pocketed $941m in taxpayer funding between 2019 and 2021 – then “reallocated’’ $764m to capital works projects.

Two private schools in Sydney – Knox Grammar and Shore – spent more in five years than the Tasmanian government spent on all its public schools between 2017 and 2021.

Over a decade, seven private schools spent $1.26bn on capital works – as much as governments spent across 415 public schools in the ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania combined.

The seven schools are Caulfield Grammar, Cranbrook School, Knox Grammar, Haileybury College, Carey Baptist Grammar, Barker College and Shore.

The union said Loreto Normanhurst, which costs parents $32,000 a year, had announced a $130m redevelopment.

Barker College, a $41,000 a year school on Sydney’s north shore, recently built a $40m indoor sports complex and plans to spend $150m on a performing arts and exam centre, and aquatic and tennis centre.