Media Release, 2 February, 2012

The school funding data in this week’s ROGS Report (Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2012, pages 4.33 and 4.34) provides a very interesting statistic.

• Government funding for government schools has increased each year in the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 by an average of 2.7%.

• Government funding for non-government schools has increased over the same period by an annual average of just 0.7%.

NCEC calls on the Commonwealth Government to reduce the operating resources gap in Catholic schools.

According to the ACARA My School data published last March, Catholic schools operate on average with around 10% lower net recurrent income per student than do government schools.

The data shows that, on average, government schools operate at around $11,130 per student and Catholic schools operate with around $10,000 per student.

NCEC strongly supports the calls from all school funding commentators to increase funding support for all schools in disadvantaged areas.

NCEC also supports calls for government schools to be appropriately funded to ensure that they achieve for their students high equity and high quality outcomes.

It is the sincere hope of the NCEC that the Gonski Report will also support these three basic policy positions.

ENDS

Contact Bill Griffiths 0488 057 660

2 February 2012