Report: Morrison Grossly Underfunding Public Schools

Report – Adam Rorris, April 2022

Scott Morrison’s record on school funding: $6.5 billion every year in public school neglect & $10 billion in private school cash handouts

Executive Summary

“Record funding to schools” – Morrison’s big claim hides rank discrimination

Each of the LNP government’s four Education Ministers (Birmingham, Tehan, Tudge and Robert) have espoused the mantra that they are providing “record funding for schools” at every available opportunity, without ever quite managing to address where, how and to whom this “record funding” has been and will be delivered. In fact, scrutiny of their record shows they have delivered something entirely unbalanced and inherently unfair: record funding to private schools and calculated neglect of students in public schools.

This report details thirteen critically unfair decisions in respect to school funding that the LNP government (with Scott Morrison as either Treasurer or PM) has made since 2015. The first two capture the in-built under-funding of public schools delivered by the Commonwealth engineered Bilateral Agreements with state/territory governments. The other eleven decisions send additional funding to private schools only. These 13 decisions are summarised in the table below.

1. Five year bi-lateral agreements with state and territory governments that under-fund public schools by more than $4.5 billion each and every year.
2. Clauses within Commonwealth-State Bilateral agreements that divert an additional $2 billion a year away from classrooms in public schools, by pretending that depreciation write offs, private and public system wide regulation and school transport can be calculated as part of SRS funding of public schools.
3. $1.9 billion in capital funding grants available to private schools coupled, plus excluding public schools from any capital funding even though they have much greater need.
4. $3.4 billion in additional funding for private schools to transition to the direct measure of parental income over ten years.
5. $1.2 billion in Choice & Affordability slush fund for private schools. Zero for public schools.
6. The one off, single year $30.2 million Local School Community Fund, from which a grand total of $21.8 million was thinly spread across more than 1500 public schools with each successful school receiving around $14,000 for one off purchases.
7. $20 million in drought relief for private schools only plus $5 million flood relief also for private schools only.
8. Confirmation that some of the very richest schools in the country will receive tens of millions of dollars in Commonwealth government funding over and above their full SRS entitlement through to 2028.
9. No strings attached advances on funding for private schools only to help deal with the initial phase of COVID-19.
10. Additional funding for private schools to improve hygiene measures in response to the pandemic, but NO support for public schools.
11. $750 million in COVID-19 related JobKeeper subsidies to private schools who retained at least half of this handout as profit.
12. An additional $2 billion inserted into the pool of Commonwealth funding for private schools at the end of 2021 despite there being no evidence of it being justified on the basis of need. Zero additional funding announced for public schools.
13. 2022–23 Federal Budget cut $796.5 million funding from public schools over the next four years. In a profound act of symmetry, it increases private school funding by $834.9 million through the use of outlandish enrolment projections. This being on top of the additional $2 billion increase provided to private schools just a few months earlier.

The Scott Morrison government since 2018, has diverted more than $10 billion in funding exclusively towards private schools. It has excluded public schools which desperately need the money. This has been achieved through multiple special deals, discretionary funds with little to no accountability, numerous private school only funds to assist with drought, bushfires or the pandemic, and the now notorious systemic rorting built into the design of JobKeeper. Finally, just this year billions in additional funds for private schools only snuck into the latest budget update without even an attempt at proper explanation.

The Morrison government has been over-spending on private schools while public schools right across Australia are under-funded by approximately $6.5 billion each year. That is $6.5 billion below their required SRS funding. Let us not forget the SRS level is the minimum funding required by public schools to deliver essential services to the two-thirds of Australia’s children that are placed in their care.

Indeed, the Morrison Government has provided record funding for private schools. The great injustice is that the Morrison government has been assiduous in its discrimination and bias so that too little of its additional spend reaches the 2.7 million public school students in Australia.

All told, Scott Morrison and his government have diverted more than ten billion dollars away from the public school system and towards private schools. In a government increasingly exposed for its ability to rort, pork barrel and distort how it distributes public money, this school funding swindle should surely rank as one of the biggest scandals for one of the most scandal ridden governments in Australia’s history.

In 2017, as Treasurer, Scott Morrison proclaimed: “We can’t walk away from the principle which says that the funding for the schooling of every child should be based on a clear standard, and it should be fair for everyone, so we’re going to argue for fairness.” 1.

Has he lived up to this promise as Prime Minister? Has school funding been “based on a clear standard” that is “fair for everyone”? Has he argued “for fairness?”

This report provides ample evidence to the contrary. We can say with absolute confidence that “we don’t think, we know” – Scott Morrison and his government have left behind Australia’s public schools and those who learn and teach in them. The price is a more unequal society with the majority of students now further denied an equal chance in learning. The longer-term public cost will be a reduced national capacity to grow and develop both society and economy.

1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvgQf_Bc3vM

Read the full report here: https://www.aeufederal.org.au/application/files/1116/5104/1199/AEU216_Morrison_Funding_Report.pdf.

Media release – Australian Education Union Tasmania, 29 April 2022

Report slams Morrison Government record – Tasmanian public school students missing $1,268 each every year

The extent of the Morrison Government’s neglectful underfunding and savage cuts to Tasmanian public schools has been laid bare in a new report, which also highlights special deals and overfunding for private education.

The independent report, Scott Morrison’s Record on School Funding, shows Tasmanian government schools are missing out on $1,268 per student in public funding this year – a state-wide public education funding shortfall of $72 million in 2022.

At the same time, public funding for Tasmanian private schools is set exceed the minimum Schooling Resource Standard by $10 million across 2022-23.

The report by independent author Adam Rorris shows under Scott Morrison’s Government, public schools across Tasmania are set to miss out on a further $70m in much needed funding in 2023.

Australian Education Union Tasmania President David Genford said Tasmania’s public schools were suffering as a result of the funding neglect.

“It’s unacceptable that Tasmanian students suffer extreme wait times to see a school psychologist, may not have a properly qualified specialist teacher because of shortages and miss out on individual learning support, yet Scott Morrison cuts their funding,” he said.

“The past two years have been extremely challenging and have created mounting pressure for all in the teaching profession, yet the funding support hasn’t kept pace with the rising classroom challenges.”

Mr Genford said teacher burnout is a real issue as educators navigate their way through what many are saying is the biggest crisis and toughest conditions ever faced by Tasmanian schools.

“The Morrison Government should be providing Tasmania’s schools with much needed additional resources for COVID support and recovery and capital works for schools, yet we’re not seeing a cent.”

“Without immediate support it’s likely we’ll see more teachers leaving the profession and student learning suffer even more as a result.”

He said the Federal Government’s funding shortfall would create added pressure on the Rockliff Government to deliver for Tasmania’s schools.

“With Federal funding shortfalls and a State Budget approaching, Premier Rockliff must take a stand for public education and Tasmania’s children. Who will he stand up for – Scott Morrison or our kids?” he said.

“Scott Morrison shows contempt for public schools, students and families. The only solution is a change in Government this election.”

Total annual public funding for Tasmanian schools in relation to Schooling Resource Standard funding required