The truth about Sydney’s school funding revealed

Taxpayers contribute less than $5,000 per student annually to 15 of Sydney's high-fee schools, according to an analysis of combined state and Commonwealth government funding. This revelation comes from a detailed review of 2024 data sourced from the government’s MySchool website. Among the affected institutions are North Shore schools such as SCEGGS, Redlands, Shore, and Bellevue Hill’s Scots College, which received the lowest per-student funding in the region. These findings highlight disparities in how educational resources are allocated across different types of schools in New South Wales. The study examined over 806 government, Catholic, and private schools providing secondary education. However, the data does not differentiate per-student funding specifically at the high school level. Many independent schools offer education from kindergarten through year 12, whereas government high schools typically serve students from year 7 to 12. The three lowest-funded public schools identified in the analysis were Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design, The Ponds High, and Sefton High, each receiving less than $15,000 per student in 2024. Additional funding is allocated to schools facing greater challenges, including those with socioeducational disadvantages, a higher proportion of students with disabilities, or those located in remote areas. Australia stands out globally due to the substantial number of independent schools that receive government funding. A recent report from the left-leaning think tank The Australia Institute highlighted that governments provide considerable public support to private schools that charge high fees and invest heavily in non-educational amenities and facilities. The report pointed out that while these schools benefit from public funds, the public school system does not receive sufficient funding to meet the Commonwealth government’s established benchmarks. Blaise Joseph, the education director at the right-leaning think tank The Centre for Independent Studies, argued that funding for private schools offers low- and middle-income families school choice they might not otherwise have. He noted that high-income parents already have school choice because they can afford high-fee private schools or reside in affluent suburbs with top-performing public schools. Joseph raised the question of whether educational equity requires ensuring that all parents, not just the wealthy, have access to affordable alternatives if they are dissatisfied with their local government school. Government schools receive an average of approximately $26,000 per student in total government funding, compared to around $15,000 for non-government schools. Under the current school funding model, each school receives funding based on the Schooling Resource Standard. For 2026, this standard includes $14,467 per primary student and $18,180 per secondary student, with additional base loadings for factors such as disability, low English proficiency, parents' education and occupation, Indigenous status, remote locations, and small schools. Funding for Catholic and private schools is further adjusted based on parents' taxable income. Economists observe that the increasing enrollment in independent schools alleviates pressure on the state’s budget by shifting the cost of education to parental fees and the Commonwealth. However, this trend has led to a concentration of disadvantaged students in public schools. Research conducted by Dr. Michele Bruniges indicates that 94 percent of Australian schools with a high concentration of disadvantage are public schools, with the figure reaching 97 percent in New South Wales. This underscores the growing disparity in resource allocation and the challenges faced by public schools serving vulnerable populations.