Findings support public education demands

The Productivity Commission's recently released Report on Government Services supports the Federation's demands for additional government funding for public schools and TAFE.

In regards to schools, Federation President Maree O'Halloran said: "Total government expenditure between 2000/1 and 2004/5 increased by 2.8 per cent per annum per public school student.

"At the same time the increase per annum per private school student was 4.7 per cent.

"The disproportionate increase to the private sector is particularly outrageous given the resource needs of public schools."

Ms O'Halloran said both the Federal and NSW governments need to increase their investment in public education.

"The Federal Government has made a deliberate policy decision to favour private school students over public school students," Ms O'Halloran said.

"In effect, the Federal Government chooses to govern for private schools. The Productivity Commission Report shows that the Federal Government spends $1051 per public school student compared to $4515 per private school student. That is 4.3 times as much!

"And while the Federal Government continues to boast of record budget surpluses, the level of public school funding continues to decline.

"If public schools had continued to receive the same share of funding compared to the (unacceptable) 1996 share, public schools would receive an additional $1 billion this year.

"Government investment in public education at both federal and state levels is critical to Australia's future and its place in the global economy," Ms O'Halloran said.

[Note: The Schools Resource Taskforce (SRT) established in 2001 by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), has calculated that public schools nationwide require an additional $2.9 billion in recurrent funding to ensure the National Schools Resourcing Standard necessary to meet the National Goals of Schooling. Indeed, the $2.9 billion dollars grossly underestimates the true level of funding required as the SRT has not yet calculated costs associated with capital, nor specific costs associated with special education or with assuring quality teaching for all students.]

TAFE

Federation President Maree O'Halloran said: "In 2001, $14.59 was spent, which rose to $15.56 in 2003, dropped to $14.56 in 2004 and $14.28 in 2005. There is no indication that this downward trend has been halted.

"Both the NSW and Federal governments have cut funding to TAFE in real terms. Such cuts in expenditure cannot be justified particularly at a time of skills shortage.

"Any additional funding from the Federal Government in recent years has been directed to other training providers than TAFE, despite the fact that TAFE continues to be the largest vocational education and training provider in Australia. TAFE delivery is of the highest quality.

"Unmet demand in TAFE NSW is a significant issue this year. Students are being turned away from courses that they have already started. Courses in sensitive areas such as child care and aged care are being cut. The State Government's own commissioned report from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal last year said that there is a need to increase funding to TAFE at an average of 2.5 per cent per annum over the next 20 years."

Federation has written to both the State Government and the Liberal/National Opposition with a claim for an additional $250 million in government funds for TAFE per year.

"This money is urgently needed considering the cuts over recent years and the estimated growth in students of around 5 per cent. The system cannot cope currently despite the best efforts of teachers, many of them working on a part time casual basis," Ms O'Halloran said.

"Both the State and Federal governments need to invest more in TAFE for the future of our young people and the economy," she added.

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Last Modified: 08 Feb 2007