Almost half of Canberra's independent schools will have their funds slashed over the next 10 years under a new school funding policy touted by the federal Education Minister as a fairer model.
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Daramalan College will be hardest hit, according to the new data, with per student funding to drop more than $2200 compared to what was allocated in 2017. The figure represents an almost 30 per cent cut.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham launched the School Funding Estimator on Tuesday, designed to help parents understand how their school will be affected by his policy launched last week. Also revealed on the hit list:
- Daramalan College received $7998 per student in 2017, will receive $5719 in 2027 (28.5 per cent decrease)
- Radford College received $4904 per student in 2017, will receive $3638 in 2027 (25.8 per cent decrease)
- Burgmann Anglican School received $6802 in 2017, will receive $5050 in 2027 (25.8 per cent decrease)
- Marist College received $7508 per student in 2017, will receive $6512 in 2027 (18 per cent decrease)
- Brindabella Christian College received $7284 in 2017, will receive $6007 in 2027 (17.5 per cent decrease)
- Orana Steiner School received $6723 per student in 2017, will receive $6260 per student in 2027 (6.9 per cent decrease)
- St Edmund's College received $7650 in 2017, will receive $7217 in 2027 (5.6 per cent decrease)
- Emmaus Christian School received $7309 per student in 2017, will receive $7169 per student in 2027 (1.9 per cent decrease)
The federal government's new funds policy, dubbed Gonski 2.0, spelled the end of 27 different deals made with schools and systems throughout Australia in favour of a single needs-based model.
As well, the government has promised to fund 80 per cent of a non-government school's resourcing standard within 10 years rather than taking up to 150 as projected under the former government's policy.
This means Canberra independent schools considered over-funded under the needs-based model will have slower-than-expected growth to bring them in line with the school resourcing standard.
Association of Independent Schools of the ACT executive director Andrew Wrigley said schools were keen to hear details of transitional funding promised by the federal government.
"A number of schools are looking at decreases in funding over the 10 years, others are looking at marginal increases," he said.
"The question schools are asking is does that keep up with inflation, and we know that the cost to run schools do run in excess of inflation.
"The thing they're looking for most of all is the detailed information."
Also under the policy, every ACT Catholic systemic school will be worse off in 2027 than in 2017, bringing them into line with their school resourcing standard.
Angry Catholic school parents met at St Clare's College Monday night for a public meeting where Liberal senator Zed Seselja broke ranks with his party and promised to fight the changes.
Each public school will receive a funding boost of about 75 per cent over the decade with the federal government pledging 20 per cent of their school resourcing standard.
Overall school funding will increase 53.6 per cent in the ACT.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended the policy on Tuesday: "[It is] transparent, fair, needs-based, consistent, exactly as David Gonski recommended, which is why he has endorsed our plan ... it does not discriminate across systems."
- with Finbar O'Mallon
