1. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the objects of the Bill be
written to reflect a commitment to the delivery of free and universally
accessible public education.
2. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the Bill be amended to put
in place funding provisions for the triennium but that decisions regarding
changes to the New Schools Policy, Broadbanding Programs and the introduction
of the Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment be deferred for a 12-month period
or until such time as there can be a full inquiry into the implications
of the proposed changes and a period of consultation and negotiation with
the States and Territories.
Comment on Recommendation 2
Witnesses at the hearing consistently raised the lack of time in which
to respond, the absence of adequate data on which to make judgements,
the short time frame for consultation and negotiation and the fact that
whilst the abandonment of the New Schools Policy was consistent with Coalition
policy, the means by which it would be funded were not made clear until
well after the handing down of the budget.
The Government has not prepared an impact study of the effect of this
Bill on the existing public school system.
3. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the Government acknowledges
that its claim to have increased spending on schools is illusory and misleading.
Comment on Recommendation 3
The Democrats are critical of the Government's failure to properly document
funding projections and of its claim to have increased overall funding
by $2.3 billion by the year 2000. Over 90% of this increase is, in reality,
a projection of indexation, supplementation and new enrolments.
4. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the Government apply its funding
to government and non-government sectors more equitably.
Comment on Recommendation 4
The increase in SPP grants per government student over the four years
is 8.2% whereas the increase in SPP grants per non-government student
is almost double that percentage at 15.8%. This is consistent with the
general intent of this bill which is to favour non-government over government
in funding provision.
The submissions by the States and Territories make it clear that the
Government cannot assume, as it appears to have done, that the States
will maintain funding at their current levels.
5. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the Federal Government continue
to play a role in identifying areas of need and in developing and funding
programs for specific educational outcomes and to redress educational
disadvantage.
Abandonment of the New Schools Policy
6. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the New Schools Policy remain
in place until such time as:
i) there is more certainty about the cost to the Commonwealth of the
expansion of the non-government sector; and
ii) the Federal Government reaches agreement with the States on consistent
criteria for providing funding for private schools
Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment
7. The Australian Democrats RECOMMEND that the EBA be scrapped as a mechanism
for Commonwealth funding for the expansion of new private schools.
Comment on Recommendation 7
The EBA has been 'designed' to reduce funding to the government school
budget in order to make its much higher per capita contribution to a large
increase (94,000 students) in private schools without affecting, to great
degree its 'bottom line'. The EBA is a mechanism which, if the proportion
of students in the non-government continues to rise beyond the year 2000
at the rate projected to that date, will eventually result in Commonwealth
recurrent grants to government schools being removed altogether.
Furthermore, the EBA is arbitrary and does not acknowledge differences
in the States in relation to existing levels of government/non-government
enrolments and differences in costs per capita of education.
The EBA is inequitable and its application is likely to reduce the standards
in government schools and, in so doing, further encourage the shift from
government to private schools.
Senator L Allison
Australian Democrats