.jpg)
A new report says that the funding that the Federal Government provides to schools is already “reasonably well-targeted relative to need” and that more money will not necessarily have an impact.
The Bankwest Curtin Education Centre report – titled ‘Educate Australia fair?’ – found that schools in areas of greatest educational disadvantage received income of $24,100 per student – almost 50% more than the average of $16,400 for the top 50 areas.
Report co-author Alan Duncan, said the report highlights that funding is not the most significant factor in reducing educational inequality, and that the story is “far more complex”.
The report follows the Federal Government’s Gonski 2.0 funding plan, which would deliver $23.5bn to schools over six years instead of 10. The plan has been opposed by Labor and the Greens, who say it cuts, rather than increases, funding to schools.
Duncan said rather than getting tied down in funding debates, Australia’s education policies need to address the complex barriers in delivering education to the most vulnerable children.
“However this [funding] debate is resolved, what is clear from these findings is that funding alone will not provide the solution to narrowing the education gap in Australia,” Duncan said in a statement yesterday.
“Many factors go towards delivering strong educational outcomes beyond the resources channelled to schools, from the development of teachers’ talents, the promotion of innovation in the delivery of education, and a school culture that balances NAPLAN achievements within broader educational outcomes.”
Duncan praised the education reforms introduced by the Rudd-Gillard governments, including the introduction of national standardised testing in literacy and numeracy and universal access to preschool for children in the year before schooling.
“More children than before are now accessing pre-school, with positive outcomes flowing on to child development and literacy and numeracy outcomes,” he said.
However, he said the new BCEC Educational Disadvantage Index is a sobering reminder of the level of inequality that still exists in our community, with many children falling far behind in educational access, performance and outcomes.
Compared to the most advantaged localities in Australia, children in those fifty areas at greatest educational disadvantage are, on average, half as likely to be enrolled in pre-school at age 4, half as likely to attend pre-school for 15 hours or more, and seven times as likely to be vulnerable on two or more developmental domains.
Non-attendance rates are nearly five times as high, at 22%, of areas at greatest disadvantage compared to areas of least disadvantage, and nearly half of young people in areas of greatest need are neither learning nor earning.