NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE INEQUITY OF SCHOOL FUNDING IN TASMANIA

The Australian Education Union analysis of newly-released My School data shows a 28.7% real increase in government funding to Tasmanian public schools over a decade (2013 to 2022) while funding for private schools increased by 49.2% over the same period.

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

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

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

“By contrast every private school in Tasmania 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 Tasmanian 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.

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

AEU TAS branch president David Genford said fully funding public schools is the only way to ensure every child gets the support they need to succeed.

“Full funding would mean more one-on-one support for students with complex needs, small group tutoring for those at risk of falling behind, more trained counsellors and more education support staff,” he said.

“Whoever wins the election needs to work with the Federal Government to deliver for Tasmanian children.”

The schools Expert Panel that reported to education ministers last year said the full funding of public 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%.”

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