Government funding increases for Catholic and Independent schools have outstripped those for public schools since 2009 and entrenched a major resource advantage for them. New figures published by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority show Catholic and Independent schools have a much higher income per student than public schools across Australia and in nearly every state/territory.

It is incredible that Australia’s school funding system so heavily favours the more advantaged over the under-privileged. Public schools enrol the vast majority of low-income, Indigenous, remote area and high disability students. By contrast, only a small percentage of these students attend Catholic and Independent schools.

The new figures have been adjusted for inflation to exclude the effect of price changes such as higher salaries and materials costs and show the real increase in resources including teachers, support staff, non-school staff and educational materials. The adjusted figures show that between 2009 and 2023 government funding (Commonwealth and state) for Catholic schools increased by $3101 per student and by $2708 in Independent schools compared to $2091 for public schools. In percentage terms, the 34.8% increase for Catholic schools at was double the 17.5% of public schools while funding for Independent schools increased by 21.2%.

Commonwealth Government funding for Catholic schools increased by $2897 per student and by $2589 for Independent schools compared to only $1162 for public schools. The increase in Commonwealth Government funding for public schools exceeded the state/territory government increase; the latter was $929 per student. State/territory government funding for Catholic schools increased by $204 per student and by $119 per Independent school student.

The increase in total income per student in Catholic schools was nearly double that in public schools – $3706 in Catholic schools compared to $1960 in public schools. The increase in total income per student in Independent schools at $3237 per student also far exceeded that for public schools.

Government funding was the main source of increase in income per student in both Catholic and Independent schools, making up 84% of the increase. Private schools are more dependent on government funding than they were in 2009. Government funding accounts for 75% of the income of Catholic schools and 49% of the total income of Independent schools.

Government funding increases have favoured Catholic and Independent schools in all states and territories except in NSW and Independent schools in the ACT. The biggest disparities are in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

The big increases in government funding for private schools has given them a large resource advantage over public schools. Independent schools now have a massive resource advantage over public schools. Their income per student in 2023 was 40% higher than for public schools – $27,279 compared to $19,428. They have a large resource advantage in every state and territory. Independent schools in Victoria have the largest resource advantage at $11,514 per student, 64% more than the income per student in public schools. Income per student in NSW Independent schools is $8430 or 41% higher than for public schools.

Catholic school income of $21,114 per student is significantly higher than for public schools. Catholic schools have a resource advantage in every state and territory except NSW and the ACT. Catholic schools in the Northern Territory have the biggest income advantage over public schools at $4488 per student. In Victoria, the income of Catholic schools is $3558 per student, or 20%, more than in public schools.

These resource gaps are a major factor contributing to the large proportion of disadvantaged students not achieving national proficiency standards and the large achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

The 2024 NAPLAN results also reveal that very large proportions of disadvantaged students are not achieving national proficiency standards in reading, writing and numeracy. For example, more than half to two-thirds of disadvantaged Year 9 students do not achieve the standards as shown by the following percentages:

• 63-66% of students whose parents have a Year 11 education;
• 51-52% of students whose parents are in the lowest paid occupation group;
• 57-59% of students whose parents are not in paid work;
• 68-70% of Indigenous students;
• 57-61% of remote area students;
• 77-80% of very remote area students.

The percentage of disadvantaged students not achieving basic proficiency standards was generally 3-4 times that of high SES students. Only about 10% of high SES students did not achieve these standards.

The large majority of disadvantaged students attend public schools. A study by  Save Our Schools shows that the large majority of students from low socio-educational advantage families attend public schools. In 2023, 81% of all students low SEA students attended public schools and 91% of all schools with over 50% of their students in the lowest SEA quartile were public schools. Nearly one-third of all students in public schools are from low SEA families. Other data drawn from the My Schools data set show that public schools enrol 82% of Indigenous students, 79% of remote area students and 87% of very remote area students.

Money does matter in school education. Inadequate funding of public schools translates into teacher shortages, fewer support staff, lack of digital and other learning materials and poor quality facilities. These inadequacies make it very difficult to meet the learning challenges of disadvantaged students, the large majority of whom attend public schools.

Of course, the money has to be spent wisely and be well-targeted at those most in need and governments have to be transparent on how funding is allocated. However, there will be no improvement without increasing funding to disadvantaged students.

The Albanese Government has set in train a series of funding agreements with state and territory governments to ensure that public schools are fully funded, but full funding will not be achieved until 2034. It is imperative that these agreements front-load funding increases and not repeat the mistakes of the Gillard/Rudd governments in back-loading funding increases and making them hostage to a change of government. Large funding increases must be front-loaded over the forward estimates of the Commonwealth and state/territory governments.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.