Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 3:01:41 to 3:06:56
Discussion on how non-government schools transition to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) and the role of time-limited funding programs in that process.
Topics: Education, Government spending
Speakers: Mr. Tony Cook, Senator Matt O'Sullivan, Unknown Speaker
So Senator remember um choice and affordability fund is to assist schools to come down to what their entitlement actually is in the schooling resource standard. >> So these school these schools are actually a number of these schools are getting more than what they're entitled to under the funding model. >> Yeah. So if there's an issue about their ability to continue, I'd question why because they're currently getting more than under the model they're entitled to at the moment some of these schools. So remember most non-government schools are above 100% of the schooling resource standard. The cap was to assist the transition down from above 100% to 100%. So it's not as if they're going below what their entitlement is under the school funding model.
I'm not sure that I'm following but I I my point is that if if CAP support were to cease if the negotiation didn't occur like what what what happens to small regional schools and that their viability if there was no >> um if there was no choice in affordability fund.
>> So under the again under the model those schools are getting 100% of the of the funding they're entitled to under the school funding model. So if the question is should they be getting more than 100% of what they're not under the legislation, not under the >> and they already get loadings in relation to small school size and they also get loadings in relation to remoteness as well. On top of that,
>> how many schools how many small regional schools currently receive Cath assistance?
>> I don't know whether we've got that data. The independent and the Catholic systems will have to give us that data center. We don't have it.
>> So ju just to wrap up the the department knows that the calf is going to end. >> Mhm. >> We know that's coming at the end of 20 or ending in 2029. Uh it's been raised by stakeholders. You've said um Brighton that uh it's raised in your discussions with the various peaks. uh you um but you've not consulted on what happens when the funds end. You you don't know what the benefits to parents have been over time. You don't know what the impacts on parents and schools will be if it ends and you haven't yet started any of the negotiations. Um as Brian you specifically referred to its timebound nature and it was designed to end if I understood what you were saying correctly. So what confidence can schools and importantly parents have about the future viability of the non-government school sector in Australia.
So Senator, I think the confidence is that those schools will receive 100% of the funding they're entitled to under the school funding model, which most government schools currently aren't receiving as you're aware. All non-government schools, or at least the very large majority of all government non-government schools are. And again, the point was the government of the day decided to give a 10-year transition period to assist those schools who are getting more money than they're entitled to. to manage the transition down to the funding that they're entitled to under the model.
>> But if calf ends, >> they will see% fun will have to go up. >> School fees will go up. I mean, how will the school survive
>> on the basis of already receiving everything they're entitled to? >> Again, they will be getting 100% of the funding that they're entitled to under the model. It would take their SCES
consideration. But but if you're if if you know cap ends on a cliff um are you saying that there there's another funding source that's replacing that?
>> If a school chooses to fund itself beyond the school and resource center that's the matter with the school but a model has been developed that's been supported by successive government since 2011 which says this is what every school in Australia is entitled to. every non-government school effectively is receiving that funding already plus if they want to continue to fund their own school above what the model entitles them to. I guess that's their decision if they choose to raise fees in relation to that. But they're not getting less funding in terms of what the model says they're entitled to as a result of calf ending. They're just not getting the additional surplus money on top of 100%.
Well, it sounds like school fees are going to go up then.
>> Well, again, I mean, that will be a school issue about do they want to fund their school above the school and resource standard. I've got no say over Almost all non almost all government schools aren't at 100%. Almost all non-government schools are at 100%. Again, as the legislation entitles them to, which has been changed by successive governments, they're receiving the money they're entitled to under the legislation.