School funding change

Cash goes to private colleges

STATE government spending on private schools is rising at almost six times the rate of spending on public schools, Labor says.

Figures in the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services show between 2014/15 and 2018/19, state spending on non-government schools grew at 27.5 per cent per student. Spending on government schools grew at 5 per cent per student over the same period.

When the effect of federal government spending is taken into account, growth favoured non-government schools by 19 per cent to seven per cent for government schools.

Labor’s education spokesman Josh Willie said the result was that the state’s non-government schools would all be funded to the school resourcing standard by 2023, but the same would not be the case for all government schools.

“Until we get the balance right we won’t get equality of opportunity in our school system. It’s an unfair system,’’ he said.

A government spokeswoman said the projected trend in growth over the coming years reversed, with 21 per cent growth for government schools and 12.5 for non-government schools between 2019/20 and 2023/24.

“Approximately 90 per cent of state government education funding goes to our public schools,” she said.

“The Productivity Commission data quoted by the AEU reflects a previous bilateral agreement entered into by former Labor governments which had non-government schools increasing at a higher rate than government schools.”

Australian Education Union Tasmania state manager Brian Wightman said funding must go to where it is needed most.

“Tasmanian public schools and colleges are getting great results, but Liberal state and federal governments continue to shovel money at private schools, ignoring the needs of students,” he said.