There has been a lukewarm response to the Federal Government’s Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, with some claiming it will lock in underfunding for public schools for the next decade.
The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA), which replaces the expiring National Schools Reform Agreement, was announced by Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare on Wednesday, and gives NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia until September to accept a 2.5% federal increase in Commonwealth funding by 2029 or forego $16bn of additional investment for their public schools.
“I have made clear that the additional $16 billion of funding for public schools the Government has put on the table will be tied to reforms. These are the reforms – reforms that will help kids catch up, keep up and finish school,” Clare said in a statement today.
“Practical things like phonics checks and numeracy checks, evidenced-based teaching and catch-up tutoring, to identify kids who need additional support and make sure they get it.”
While the agreement has been welcomed by some, the response from Australia’s largest education jurisdiction, NSW, was blunt.
“I want to make this really clear. NSW is not signing up to an agreement that doesn’t benefit the public school students of NSW,” NSW Education Minister, Prue Car said.
“We have made this very clear from the outset. The Commonwealth has deeper pockets when it comes to the opportunity for funding NSW public schools. I have to say, too, we’re not the only state or territory saying this.”
Car said most Australian states are in “lockstep” with calls to increase funding for public education.
“The lion’s share, the vast majority of states and territories are in lockstep with NSW in saying, come on. We agree we need increased funding,” she said, adding the NSW Budget increased its funding for schools by further $481m.
“So, we’ve done our bit, we need the Commonwealth Government to come to the table with a bigger share of funding so we can actually make sure that at the starting line, our kids have a better go, a fairer a go at it.”
‘An ultimatum’
The Australian Education Union’s federal president, Correna Haythorpe, said she is deeply concerned about the government’s approach to school funding, citing the deal as an ultimatum.
“The critical funding and support needed for Australian public school staff and students should not be compromised amidst a political spat between governments which has the potential to deny long awaited promised funding for public schools,” Haythorpe said.
“With only 1.3% of public schools funded at the minimum benchmark, the Schooling Resource Standard, the stark reality is that public schools have waited more than a decade for the vital resources that they need to deliver high quality education for every child.”
Haythorpe said the agreement has the potential “to entrench inequality in a way that we have not seen since the Coalition Government changed the Australian Education Act in 2017.”
“The Government cannot expect to implement a reform agenda without resolving the public school funding negotiations first,” she said.
“Delivery of full funding must be a joint commitment from both the Commonwealth and the State and Territory governments.”
Haythorpe said the refusal of five states and one territory to sign the current deal is “a clear sign that the Albanese Government’s offer is not good enough.”
“Time is quickly running out on this issue with school principals, teachers, education support staff and parents calling on all governments to work together to deliver full funding for public schools now.”
Positive initiatives…but a missed opportunity
The peak body for Australia’s private schools welcomed the release of the BFSA Heads of Agreement, commending Minister Clare’s commitment to educational reforms to lift student outcomes.
Independent Schools Australia (ISA) CEO Graham Catt said the BFSA’s focus on evidence-based teaching, early intervention through phonics and numeracy checks, and enhanced wellbeing support are “positive initiatives.”
“While we commend and support the additional investment in government schools, many educators in Independent schools are concerned that the Government won’t support them with the resources needed to fully realise this potential and to share valuable learnings and practice across sectors,” Catt said.
“That’s a missed opportunity to deliver real outcomes for all schools, and innovations that will help deliver the collective goal of a better and fairer education system,” Mr. Catt said.
‘Agreement locks in public school underfunding for a decade’
The Greens say the agreement “leaves another generation of public school kids and parents behind.”
“This is not a plan for full funding. This is a plan to lock in underfunding for another decade, ensuring another entire generation of public school kids misses out on the education they deserve,” Greens spokesperson on Primary & Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said.
Allman-Payne said Labor needs to increase the Commonwealth share of funding to a minimum of 25% in every state and territory, and deliver 100% SRS funding to all public schools at the start of the BFSA in January 2025.
“[Labor] must immediately end the overfunding of wealthy private schools that bank billions in public handouts every year.”
‘It’s time to end the stand-off’
Save Our Schools (SOS) is calling on called Federal and State governments to end their stand-off on school funding, calling it “disgraceful squabbling”.
“This disgraceful squabbling over cost-shifting by governments threatens the future education and lives of millions of students. It puts at risk government goals of increasing Year 12 completion rates and participation in tertiary education,” National Convenor of SOS, Trevor Cobbold, said.
“It is now 12 years since the Gonski Report identified the need to boost funding for public schools and disadvantaged students to improve equity in school outcomes. The shameful failure of governments to fully fund public schools cannot continue any longer.”
Cobbold said overcoming the effects of educational disadvantage remains “the fundamental challenge facing Australian governments.”
“The Commonwealth and state governments must come to their senses and end the stand-off.”
A positive start, but many unanswered questions
Dr Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University, said the prioritisation of equity in the agreement is a very encouraging sign that the government is getting serious about tackling disadvantage in Australia’s schools.
“In the Melbourne Declaration, the first national goal was equity, but in the Alice Springs Declaration, it was excellence and equity. So, it’s good to see the priority of equity,” Dr Kidson told The Educator.
“Even in this subtle shift, it conveys a positive sign. In many of measures of funding and performance, they are identified as an equity grouping, and that should be applauded.”
Another encouraging statement in the agreement, says Dr Kidson, is the government’s commitment to teacher workload impact assessment as part of any project plan for implementation.
However, he pointed out that the agreement doesn’t address how existing workload pressures on teachers can be alleviated.
“It only says that teachers are not going to be burdened by any additional workloads; it doesn’t mention anything about removing the existing burdens that teachers are already dealing with.”