Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many times in this chamber I have got to my feet to talk about the chronic underfunding of our public schools. In the last few weeks, students right around the country have gone back to school and, in a cost-of-living crisis, parents and carers have had to grapple with the increasing out-of-pocket costs that they have to contribute for their students, particularly those in a public school. Things like uniforms, technology, excursions and lunches all put a dent in the family budget. But, increasingly, parents and carers, as well as teachers, are having to fund the shortfall for the equipment and resources that our students need in our public schools.

I assisted the staff at Roseberry Queensland in Gladstone, who have a service every year where they provide free materials for students who are returning to school and whose families can't afford those things. Increasingly, the number of people who are seeking that service is getting larger. I was really shocked to see the numbers of things on the students' book lists that our public schools should be providing: photocopy paper and hand sanitiser are things that our public education system should be providing, and parents and carers shouldn't be making up the shortfall.

The latest Productivity Commission report on government services shows that the total per student funding from federal, state and territory governments to the public school sector rose 17 per cent from 2012 to 2021. But during that same period governments increased their total funding to private schools by 27 per cent. In the context of funding agreements, where at the moment, most private schools are getting over— (Time expired)