School Funding Report Tabled – Fair and Transparent

The Senate Education and Employment Committee today tabled its report into the
Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017 which clearly demonstrated strong
support from the public and independent school system.
National’s Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie and Committee Chair said the
overwhelming number of submissions to the Inquiry has been favourable and on
balance far superior to the current system.
The President of Australian Council of State School Organisations, Phillip Spratt
representing the 65% of parents whose children attend state schools, offered in
principle support for the Bill.
“If we are looking at the bill having the potential to produce a better outcome
than what currently exists, it is our considered view, that it does have that
opportunity”.
Speaking on behalf of the ISCA, the national peak body representing the independent
school system, its Executive Director Collette Colman said:
“It is ISCA’s view that setting the Commonwealth share at 80 per cent for all
non-government schools will mean that schools serving similar communities will
be entitled to similar funding, creating a level playing field for all
non-government schools, including within the independent sector itself”.
Senator McKenzie said the proposed changes, if enacted, sweep away the complex, opaque
and unfair school funding system, entrenched by the Labor Government, which
struck no fewer than 27 separate funding arrangements with the states and other
stakeholders in education delivery.
“The Committee found that the Bill puts an end to Labor’s mismatched, confusing and
unfair system that discriminates against students depending on where they
live”.
Senator McKenzie said the government will commit an additional $18.6 billion for
Australia’s schools over the next decade, under this Bill, to a record $242.3
billion.
“This Bill is all about fairness, equity in funding allocation and transparency; it
is a breakthrough that will end Labor’s educational funding mess.
“I call on the Labor Party to back this Bill, to give it the bi-partisan support
that it deserves; they should not play politics with Australian students who at
last have a funding model that supports every student in this country.
“Even though Labor’s record in this area is abysmal – this is also their chance to get it right,” Senator McKenzie said.