Western Australia’s social divide between cohorts at public and private schools has been laid bare in a new analysis showing more than 80 per cent of the state’s least-advantaged students were enrolled in a public school.
In comparison, independent and Catholic schools each took on a little under 10 per cent of students in the lowest quartile of socio-educational advantage in 2023.
The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority developed the index of socio-educational advantage to enable fair NAPLAN school comparisons, and is based on parents’ occupation and education level.
Overall, just under one-third of public school enrolments across the state were students in the lowest quartile – double that in independent schools and 84 per cent higher than in Catholic schools.
The new research was conducted by organisation Save Our Schools. National convenor Trevor Cobbold said it was the first time in years that a “comprehensive analysis of the social composition and concentration of disadvantage” had been done.
“Public schools enrol the vast proportion of low socio-educational advantage students in every state and territory,” he said.
“Our findings demolish the myth perpetrated by Catholic school organisations that Catholic schools serve a similar population to public schools.
“It also demolishes claims by independent schools that they serve a large proportion of low-income families.”
The research also showed that, out of all schools in WA where students in the lowest quartile made up more than half the total enrolments, over 83 per cent of them were public.
However in some good news, WA fared better than the national average which showed almost 91 per cent were government schools.
Cobbold said public schools faced an enormous challenge in improving school outcomes for disadvantaged students because they were also under-resourced and faced “large shortages in human and material resources.”
New funding agreements were signed on January 24 between the federal and state governments in South Australia and Victoria, meaning public schools there will get an extra $2.5 billion over 10 years.
Cobbold said this arrangement should set the standard.
“The agreements with the other states and the Northern Territory must be renegotiated to align with the Victorian and South Australian agreements to ensure that all public schools are fully funded in future,” he said.
WA’s agreement, signed in September last year, promised a $1.6 billion boost over four years.
But other industry bodies at the time said the amount promised would still leave schools 4 per cent short.
But on Saturday, the agreement was updated – the federal government will now provide an additional 5 per cent funding to the state’s schools, bringing WA in line with Victoria and South Australia.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the investment was tied to real, practical reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.
State Education Minister Tony Buti said teachers, students and families across WA would benefit as a result of increased funding and increased support for mental health and preparing students for school.
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