School Principals Call for Funding Overhaul

March 19, 2010

Primary school principals are calling for a nationwide, single funding model to ensure government, private and Catholic school students are assessed according to individual needs.

The education sector is preparing to negotiate with the Federal Government, which has promised to review the school funding system by the start of the next funding cycle in 2012.

Principals are calling for money to be distributed equally to primary and secondary schools according to each student’s need – regardless of whether the student attends a public or private school.

The New South Wales Primary Principals’ Association president, Geoff Scott, says principals want a more equitable model that overrides the current "disjointed" state and federal funding arrangements.

"It’s a mish-mash, and it is time that we actually looked at it and said, ‘OK, is it the best way of funding schools? Is it taking into account all of the equity issues that schools face in their communities every day?’" he said.

"There’s got to be a better way of doing it because there are some schools that are obviously very much under the pump in terms of lacking funds and change to this is really necessary."