Private Schools Receive $1000 More Government Funding Than Their Public Counterparts

Private schools in Australia receive more government funding than public schools. Mid-range private schools are reportedly set to receive around $1000 more from the federal and state government by 2020.

There's No Equity

The recent info was based on nationwide funding trends recorded between 2009 and 2014, the Sydney Morning Herald reported from think tank Center for Policy Development, or CPD. Colette Colman, executive director of Independent Schools Council of Australia, argued that the think tank's funding projections are based on imperfect suppositions. Colman said the 2015-16 Commonwealth Budget data indicated that federal funding for government schools exceeded than what non-government schools received.

The report agreed with Colman's assessment, but it also noted that public funding to government schools rose by lower than three percent annually from 2009 to 2014. Non-government schools, however, got a six-percent increase in public funding.

The CPD said radical reforms should be done to solve this funding inequality. They suggested implementing a freeze on funding increases to non-government schools so the money will be distributed equally.

Ross Fox, executive director of the National Catholic Education Commission, said delaying the funds of Catholic and independent schools would possibly increase school fees and taxes. This will likely be shouldered by parents and the working class.

Funding Battles

Kansas is locked in a crisis where public and private schools aren't funded equally. Public schools in the state, especially in poorer districts with little property wealth, are receiving less funding from the government, according to a report from the New York Times. Students in poor districts like Kansas City and Wichita are overcrowding in buildings with poor conditions.

In Canada, private and independent schools are funded by taxpayers, while public schools remain overlooked and underfunded, CBC reported. Jim Iker, the president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, said public schools deserve taxpayer-raised money more. A total of $358 million were provided to private schools in Canada this year, while some public schools are being closed due to lack of money.

Parents Like Private Schools Better

Parents usually prefer private schools after trying out public schools. They think public schools cannot offer the same quality of education the private ones provide. The preference is also due to social capital, religious reasons and forming relationships with influential people who can help your career, according to Charles Ungerleider, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia.

Ungerleider said public schools offer competitive programs like private schools, but small enrollment numbers affect this. The full potential of the academic programs cannot be utilized if there's only a small amount of students.