Catholic schools hit the hot button on Gonski in Bennelong by-election

Catholic schools have written to all candidates in the Bennelong by-election over the threat to school funding from Gonski 2.0 reforms.

The Labor candidate for Bennelong Kristina Keneally

NSW Catholic schools have written to all candidates in the Bennelong by-election warning them over the threat to their school funding from the government’s Gonski 2.0 reforms.

There are 11 Catholic schools in the Sydney electorate with the chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, asking all candidates — including the Liberals’ John Alexander and Labor’s Kristina Keneally — what they will do to address the funding shortfall.

The move is an attempt to place the Gonski school funding reforms at the heart of the by-election and a reminder of the Catholic sector’s fierce hostility towards the shake-up.

Mr McInerney asked for responses to three key questions to be returned by Wednesday, claiming the Turnbull government has imposed a “$1.1bn transition penalty” on Catholic school systems because of its “new school funding policy”.

The responses from candidates will be given to the families of Catholic students attending schools in the electorate to help inform their vote on the December 16 polling day.

In his letter, Mr McInerney accuses the government of ­allowing overfunded independent schools, under the new model, to remain overfunded for 10 years while overfunded schools that are part of a system will have only six years to ­transition.

“In Bennelong, all 11 Catholic systemic schools will be denied the 10-year transition afforded to independent stand-alone schools,” he writes. “Catholic schools in Bennelong will be $9.8 million worse off in 2018 and $52.3m worse off over the decade to 2027.”

Mr McInerney asks the candidates how they will “address this funding shortfall”.

The Turnbull government says funding to Catholic schools in NSW will grow from $2 billion in 2018 to $2.87bn in 2027 and they will be able to determine how funding is distributed among schools in Bennelong.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham told The Australian: “We’re boosting funding to Catholic school systems across Australia by $300m next year and $3.5bn over the coming ­decade.”