Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 3:22:40 to 3:28:09
Senators examine the projected shift of student enrollments from government to non-government schools through 2034.
Topics: Education, Infrastructure
Speakers: Senator Matt O'Sullivan, Mr. Tony Cook, Senator Marielle Smith, Unknown Speaker
>> Yeah. Yeah, I mean I've been to a few of these schools and you none of them have got big grand facilities. They I mean they're amazing what they're able to deliver and many off the smell of an oily rag. I've got to say I actually wish there was more support that could go to them. Um I just want to deal with one more issue before we'll move on. >> Um chair if that's okay. Thank you. Um I want to talk about I guess a a generational shift that's occurring towards non-government schools. We've seen their enrollments go up in comparison to government schools. um the the full-time equivalent enrollment projections uh that you're using uh which you provided on notice in response to SQ26 uh triple0676 and then again in 662 based on that data in 2026 the share of school students in non-government schools is 38% with 62% in government schools and By 2034, the proportion in government schools falls to 58% and 40 with 42% in non-government schools. Now, that's a pretty massive change. Has the
>> Sorry, Senator that last bit. >> You say 2034 or 2020?
>> 34.
>> You said 2034. It's going
>> so in in 2034.
>> Okay. Yes. Sorry.
>> It's Did I say 24?
>> I thought you said 24. That's why I got >> Sorry. No, you're right.
>> Um 2034, the proportion in government schools falls to 58 with uh an increase to 42% in non-government schools. So, a pretty big change. Uh the department data is consistent with material released yesterday by Independent Schools Australia. Can you tell me what's going what what information or feedback have you had as to why parents are choosing non-government schools? What do you think is driving this generational
>> I'm not sure we'd have any data around that. I mean, obviously, we have conversations with both the independent schools and the Catholic school sectors as well, our state and territory colleagues. I think the opportunity for all parents is there's choice available to them in the education system in Australia. um funding is provided to both the non-government and government sector which is a bit unusual as you know internationally uh here in Australia and I think it's about uh providing parents that choice. I don't think we've got anything Senator sorry to help you about why that is happening. No one's spoken to us. We haven't done any research around that. Some states and territories might have done some research around that but I don't think we have.
>> Okay. Uh across Australia this year we have uh over 2 million 2,565,887 school students, but that's expected to shrink to 2.394 million by 2034 at a decline of 170,000 students or about 20,000 a year. Should we expect government school closures? And if so, how many schools do you
That's really a matter for states and territories center rather than us. They make their own decisions. We don't make any decisions around school openings or closures. They make those decisions themselves.
>> Is there any So, it's not something that's discussed in terms of viability of schools at this level.
>> Not really. I mean, as you know, in some schools in my home state of Queensland, it's a you know, it's a one-teer school with seven kids cuz it's the only school you know, and cure you of anything. uh you know those schools would not likely close down. In other schools in Queensland we had three and a half thousand kids in a school. Yeah.
>> The data shows that this year we have uh 1.573 million non-government school students. But by 2034 that number will increase by almost 150,000 to 1.722 million. uh independent schools. Australia expects this will mean an additional 191 independent schools and presumably an equivalent increase in uh in Catholic schools. What planning have you done in relation to the opening of these new schools uh the capital funding that would be required and similar measures to accommodate that growth?
>> As you know, the schooling resource standard doesn't provide capital funding. It provides maintenance funding. We have a non-government capital fund which is about 200 M will help me $20 and something million dollars a year
>> which is given to the states and they
>> no that comes through they come to usirect yes so we work with the non-government sector and they make they decide where that funding should go we we tell them what is available um that funding is obviously directed at low socioeconomic non-government schools of course um but as the ISA report said it's really state governments work with them around land provision um uh all the roles that go around local council approvals for uh building approvals that's not a comm role
senator senator has a couple of questions so
>> okay yeah >> yeah I'm happy to
>> happy to do that okay Senator Allman Payne but we're due to move to the next