A new report has highlighted the urgent need for increased investment in public education, with a particular focus on equitable, needs-based funding as the key to reversing Queensland’s declining education outcomes.
The McKell Institute Queensland’s Bridging the Gap report outlines how needs-based funding and equitable policy in Queensland schools can address the diverse needs of students from various cultural, socio-economic, and geographical backgrounds.
The report finds that needs-based funding is effective, and that evidence from Queensland's schools shows targeted investment transforms the prospects of students from disadvantaged communities, leading to higher academic achievement, increased attendance, and broader social benefits.
To enhance the quality of education in Queensland, the report recommends the Commonwealth increase its share of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to a minimum of 25 per cent for government schools. Raising the Commonwealth’s contribution would alleviate the financial burden on the state, helping to close funding gaps and ensure that every student has access to the necessary resources for a high-quality education.
A bilateral agreement guaranteeing full SRS funding would address disparities in educational outcomes, ensuring that all government schools are adequately resourced to support their students, regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location.
The report also recommends that schools should be given more control over how to spend their resources.
“There is a widening gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, which is leading to the concentration of social disadvantage,” Executive Director of McKell Institute Queensland Sarah Mawhinney said.
“The growing disparity in educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students is something we can no longer afford to ignore.”
Mawhinney says the good news is that while education is in crisis, it is repairable.
“Growing disadvantage and declining student outcomes are simply the consequence of how schools are resourced,” she said.
“The report shows clear evidence that needs-based funding is not just an investment in schools, but an investment in the future of education.”
Mawhinney said that by directing resources where they are needed most, the educational gap can be bridged, ensuring every student has the chance to succeed, no matter their background or education.
“Excellence in education is within reach. In a country as privileged as Australia, it is unacceptable that so many students are left behind,” she said.
“This report shows that the right funding can create a fairer, more inclusive education system where every student can thrive.”
The original version of this article first appeared as a media release from The McKell Institute Queensland.