Vic Labor to pork barrel private schools

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By Leith van Onselen

Weeks after the federal government backflipped on the Gonski 2.0 needs-based school funding, increasing funding for non-government schools, the Victorian Labor Government has done likewise:

The Labor government said on Monday it would give $400 million over four years to the private school sector.

The sum more than triples the $120 million the Andrews government has invested in non-government schools since 2014.

It also spares the government a potentially damaging pre-election stoush with the Catholic sector, which recently accused Labor of “starving” it of funds for capital works…

It will be split between the two sectors based on enrolments, with about 70 per cent going to Catholic schools and 30 per cent to independent schools.

…the announcement was met with outrage by public education advocates, who are still reeling from recent federal government changes that will deliver an additional $4.6 billion to Australian private schools.

Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said the funding would be better spent on state schools.

It’s been a great few months for the independent schools sector, which has been showered with cash from both tiers of government. Shame about struggling public schools.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.