NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE INEQUITY OF SCHOOL FUNDING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Teachers and principals are calling for urgent action on school funding with new figures showing government funding for South Australian private schools has increased at twice the rate of funding for public schools.

The Australian Education Union analysis of newly-released My School data shows a 21% real increase in government funding to SA public schools over a decade (2013 to 2022) while funding for private schools increased by 43% over the same period.

The funding gap contributes to a resources gap between sectors with SA private school total income 20% higher than SA public school income in 2022 (latest year available).

Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the funding inequity was despite the fact that South Australian public schools educate far higher numbers of higher needs students such as those from low SES backgrounds.

“No public school in South Australia is funded to the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) which is the minimum level governments agreed a decade ago they need to meet the needs of students,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“By contrast every private school in SA receives 100% or more of its SRS entitlement.

“Making our education system fairer starts with fairer funding. In a new agreement, due to be signed this year, the Albanese Government and the SA Government must ensure public schools are funded to 100% of the SRS by 2028, at the latest.

“As part of that agreement, the Albanese Government must increase its contribution from 20% to 25% of the SRS. That would mean an additional $190 million a year for SA public schools.

“The Commonwealth must also stop the SA Government artificially inflating its funding share by including 4% of non-school spending as it does in the current agreement.”

AEU SA branch president Jennie-Marie Gorman said fully funding public schools is the only way to ensure every child gets the support they need to succeed.

“Full funding means well-resourced and well-staffed schools. It means more teachers, more support staff and more intensive support for the students who need it inside and outside the

classroom,” she said.

“Principals and teachers can change lives with this funding. We just need the politicians to work together to deliver it.”

The schools Expert Panel that reported to education ministers last year said the full funding of state schools is a prerequisite for student learning and wellbeing improvement and is all the more urgent because of the “full funding arrangements that already exist in the non-government sector”.

The My School funding figures come after the recently release of data from the Productivity Commission that shows public school funding at a national level increased by 20.3% (or 2% per year) in real terms between 2012-13 and 2021-22. Private school funding from governments increased over the same period by 37%.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa van der Haak, 0484 674 958