Wednesday October 2, 2002

Commenting on analysis of the national data revealed in the report, Mr Fitzgerald said:

“Professor Vinson's Report proves that the Federal Government has a deliberate policy of abandoning most of the nation's schoolchildren, especially those in greatest need. Australia has one of the lowest national rates of investment in education of all of the OECD countries. As a nation we are “falling behind”.

According to the Professor, “Australia appears to be the only OECD country in which school participation rates have been falling in the 1990s”. The report also reveals that:

1. our investment in education now ranks in the bottom quarter of OECD countries; federal funding to private schools has increased by 128% despite the fact that these schools are comprised of the more wealthy communities;

2. public schools educate the great majority of children with special needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds;

3. the great bulk of federal schools money now goes to private schools;

4. the Federal Government spends 0.75% of GDP on schools but public school expenditure in this has declined to 0.26% as private school share has risen to 0.49%;

5. some private schools “operate at levels of recurrent expenditure that is more than double that of many government schools”, yet still the public money pours into them;

6. these deliberate policies are “creating a system in which inequities are being exacerbated rather than ameliorated”.

Whilst the Report has a clear and appropriate emphasis on the role of state government in education funding, it has exposed the blind injustice of a Federal Government which is using taxpayers' dollars to create a more unequal Australia, neglecting those schoolchildren most in need, looking after the privileged at the expense of the many and doing great harm to our young.

The State Aid debate should now end. There is no debate. There are facts to be faced. Current federal funding policies taking investment away from public school children are harming our kids and their futures.”