Every Australian public school is now covered by a funding deal. Some states still face a long wait for all their money
Victoria’s new deal means every state and territory has agreed to fully fund public schools. But for some states, that won’t happen until 2034.
All Australian public schools are now part of a funding agreement. However, some states may face a lengthy wait to receive their full funding. Victoria recently signed a deal with the federal government, which means its public schools will now have a timeline to reach the 100% needs-based funding benchmark established by the 2011 Gonski review.
This agreement comes after other states and territories had already signed long-term funding agreements. The Albanese government claims that this development puts "every public school in the country on a path to full and fair funding". In summary, the funding agreements work by ensuring that every public school system in Australia is funded at 100% of the schooling resource standard by 2034, with the Commonwealth providing 25% and states and territories providing 75%.
The Northern Territory has a different 40-60 funding split. Despite the progress made, there is still a long wait for all public school systems to be fully funded. In New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, funding will not reach 100% until 2034, meaning that current students will never attend fully funded schools. The practical consequences of this long wait are severe for two generations of public school students.
Furthermore, school funding is not fixed, as the agreements run until the end of 2034, across several federal and state elections. Governments must address issues such as capital expenditure, equity targets, the use of funds, and the timing of funding to ensure that the current generation of students benefits from fully funded schools.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
