Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

We will come to it, Senator Collins. So I am pleased to confirm, Senator Back, that the government have made a determination that, using section 69A of the Australian Education Act, we would provide for additional funding equivalent to the system weighted average determination for all relevant school systems across Australia. I emphasise 'relevant' because it is important to highlight that this is not just a matter relevant to Catholic education systems; it also applies to a number of other, generally smaller education systems around Australia.

The fiscal impact of that for the first calendar year is estimated to be $46.5 million, of which some $38.2 million would be estimated to be paid to each of the eight state and territory Catholic Education Commissions across Australia, and some $8.3 million would be paid to the different non-government education systems that are not in the Catholic system, over the next 12 months.

Senator Back, that funding is applying the same system averaging methodology—in terms of the averaging-out of scores—as is currently the case. They are of course estimates. Should there be more student enrolments or other variations in that sense, then they would be adjusted accordingly.

In addition to that commitment to provide that funding certainty, we are committing to a review of the SES methodology and we are committing to establishing a permanent vehicle by which such enhancements and improvements to the school funding model could take place. I refer the Senate to proposed amendment (7) on sheet GX817, which deals with establishing a National School Resourcing Board.

I emphasise that that board will require representation and membership from the states and territories, from the representative body for Catholic systemic schools and from the representative body for independent schools, ensuring that all relevant parties will be at the table in terms of the board's operation and work. It will be tasked with conducting reviews periodically, and the government intends that the very first review that it be tasked with is a review in relation to the SES measure and the parental-capacity-to-contribute settings for non-government schools. This will allow for independent analysis of the suitability of the current arrangements and ensure that the concerns raised by non-government schools, including Catholic education system authorities, about the SES measure are fully and properly examined. Our intention is that this review will take place and be completed before the middle of next year. In doing so, that will of course then provide recommendations that the government's intention will be to act upon, noting, of course, any particular budgetary circumstances that need to be addressed in that regard.

I highlight to the Senate—and hopefully we would have moved this amendment by now—that there are particular measures in terms of the structure of this that will ensure that there must be consultation around the terms of reference for such a review with all of the relevant stakeholders in terms of ensuring that the findings of such a review will be made public; tabled in this place; provided to relevant stakeholders, including, of course, the different representative bodies in the states and territories; and, once having undertaken the SES and capacity-to-contribute review, we would anticipate and commit that the next body of work that this review would look at would be in relation to student-with-disability loadings to ensure the appropriate application of those loadings.

Senator Back, thank you again for your constructive engagement and advocacy in this regard. It helps to ensure that as we work through these processes we get even better outcomes. As I have highlighted time and time again in this place, the funding proposals that the government has put forward do ensure growth in funding in a range of different ways, and I note that your advocacy in this matter has not been about the quantum of funding so much as the co-responsibility arrangements that you highlight across systems and the way in which they work. I commend you for the way in which you put those arguments forward and worked with us in this way.