Exposing private school funding rorts
The Greens used Legislative Council questions on notice to expose
the massive payments made to wealthy private schools.
Relevant media
Private Schools awash in cash Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Oct 06
Hills private schools get the lion's share, Hills News, Oct 06
The state and federal governments could not justify continued funding of private schools awash with cash.
"The focus should be on reinvesting in the public school system, not
inflating the surpluses of already very wealthy private schools," said
John Kaye
Fees rise despite big
handouts
Sydney Morning Herald, 4 Jan 06
Whilst receiving generous government funding, private schools are raising their fees by as much as triple the rate of inflation. John Kaye says “despite annual subsidies of more than $110 million going to the wealthiest private schools in NSW alone they are becoming much less affordable.”
Teachers abandon battling schools
Sydney
Morning Herald, 20 Feb 06
In the states most difficult to teach schools
up to a third of the teachers left their jobs before the end of the school
year. In reply to these Department of Education figures, John Kaye said “the
government has to stop the madness of sending fresh graduates to difficult
schools.
“Since the Carr government took office,
federal and state annual funding for private schools had risen by more than
$900 million.
“That money could have reduced class sizes
and improved state school teacher monitoring.”
Elite schools' fees surge despite subsidy
Sydney Morning Herald 11 Sep 06
According to the federal governments
funding formula, Sydney’s
elite private schools have been receiving more money than they are entitled to.
Despite this in the past four years fees at
these schools have increased by as much as 53.4 per cent.
It is clear that the extra funding has not
placed any downward pressure of fees.
“The funding formula was supposed to make
private schools more accessible to students on lower incomes.
“The reality is that the massive increases
in funding have had the opposite effect.”
