The latest NAPLAN results reveal the enormity of the challenges facing Australia’s school system. They show vast achievement gaps between rich and poor, a huge proportion of equity group cohorts not achieving national proficiency standards and a very large proportion in need of additional support in their learning. Unfortunately, the education equity targets and new funding agreements between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments provide little prospect that the gaps can be reduced. The results demand more urgent action by governments to fully fund public schools.

 

Year 9 students of parents with a bachelor’s degree or higher achieved much higher average scores in reading, writing and numeracy than students of parents who only completed Year 11. The gaps were 98 points for reading, 107 points for writing and 111 points for numeracy. The learning gap are 4-5 years because students of parents with only a Year 11 education achieved average scores below that of Year 5 students of highly educated parents.

 

In addition, Year 9 students of parents in the highest occupational group (Occupational Group 1) scored 63-71 points more than students of parents in the lowest occupation group (Occupational Group 4). The learning gap is nearly four years. Students from the highest occupation group achieved 83-96 points more than those of parents not in paid work which represent over four years of learning.

 

The gaps between Indigenous students and those of highly educated parents remain very large: 98 points for reading, 114 points for writing and 116 points for numeracy. These gaps represent over four years of learning for reading and nearly five years for writing and numeracy. The equivalent gap for remote area students is about four years while that for very remote area students is nearly six years.

 

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

• 64-65% of students whose parents have a Year 11 education;

• 49-51% of students whose parents are in the lowest paid occupation group;

• 58-59% of students whose parents are not in paid work;

• 65-67% of Indigenous students;

• 56-60% of remote area students;

• 77-80% of very remote area students.

 

Many disadvantaged students are not achieving at the basic minimum standards and are only achieving at the lowest proficiency level. For example, the following percentages of Year 9 students need additional learning support in reading, writing and numeracy.

• 29-31% of students whose parents have a Year 11 education;
• 17-19% of students whose parents are in the lowest paid occupation group;
• 25-27% of students whose parents are not in paid work;
• 31-35% of Indigenous students;
• 27-32% of remote area students;
• 54-59% of very remote area students.

 

By contrast, only 3-5% of students of highly educated parents and 4-5% of parents in the highest occupation group need additional learning support.

 

These are massive differences between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

 

The large majority of disadvantaged students attend public schools. A  study by Save Our Schools shows that, 81% of all low socio-economic status  students attended public schools in 2023. Data from the My School website show that public schools enrol 82% of Indigenous students, 79% of remote area students and 87% of very remote area students.

 

Public schools have long been under-funded for the learning challenges they face. In 2024, they were only funded at an average of 88% of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) across Australia. By contrast, private schools were over-funded on average at 104% of their SRS.

 

The Prime Minister and his Education Minister promised that the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement will fully fund public schools by 2034. This has already proved to be a false promise. New bilateral funding agreements with the New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian, Western Australian and Tasmanian governments reveal that public schools will not be funded at 100% of their SRS by 2034 despite a significant planned boost in funding over the decade.

 

Public schools in these states, and also likely in Victoria when its agreement is finally published, will be under-funded because the states can continue to use non-SRS expenditures as part of their funding share. They can claim expenditure on school transport up to 1.8% of their SRS (1.5% for WA and Tasmania) share and all expenditure on regulatory authorities, such as curriculum and standards, relating to public schools. These expenditures are specifically excluded from how the SRS is measured. As a result, public schools will continue to receive less funding than they should.

 

Continuing under-funding of public schools for another decade means there is little prospect of reducing the large achievement gap between rich and poor or increasing the proportion of disadvantaged students achieving the national literacy and numeracy proficiency standards. This is a disaster for the future learning and life prospects of disadvantaged students. It also has broader consequences for individual’s health and social outcomes.

 

Reducing the achievement gaps between rich and poor students is critical to improving work force skills and productivity. In fact, the achievement gaps are a measure of the potential for productivity improvement and higher living standards. Fully funding public schools is fundamental to increasing national productivity.

 

Public schools face a funding crisis. Governments have to be forced to fully support public education. It demands an organised response from public school and community organisations. Teacher, parent, principal and community groups must collectively organise and campaign at the school, district, state and national levels to demand a better deal for public schools. A better deal should include:

• Halving the proportion of disadvantaged students needing additional support by 2029;
• Increase the Commonwealth share of funding public schools to 25% by 2029;
• Re-negotiation of the bilateral funding agreements to:
  • Remove the 4% rort by 2029;
  • Immediately remove all allowances for state and territory governments to include non-SRS expenditures such as school transport and regulatory agencies as part of their share of funding the SRS of public schools.