As the States and Territories discuss how their schools should be funded, philanthropic grants from educational charities have been helping to fill critical resourcing gaps for schools that need it most.
In recent years, the issue of inequitable school funding has been highlighted by surveys showing a staggering 88% of public school principals and teachers are spending their own money to supply their classrooms with basic classroom items.
Data released this year by the Australian Education Union shows that in Queensland, teachers’ average annual out-of-pocket expenditure was $1,080, up from $939 the previous year, while South Australian teachers are forking out nearly $1,000 a year for basic items like textbooks, stationery, costumes, and dance shoes.
Indeed, the rising cost of living since the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a growing push from charities and community groups to help families cover school expenses.
In August, researchers from Deakin University published a study examining the role of philanthropic funding, including from organizations like Australian Schools Plus, and its impact on schools and principals.
The study, titled: ‘Grant chaser and revenue raiser: public school principals and the limitations of philanthropic funding’, found that while these grants offer additional resources, some school leaders find the grant application process time-intensive, potentially shifting their focus from educational leadership to administrative tasks.
“The process of applying for these grants is time-intensive and detracts from the core duties of school leaders,” Lead researcher, Dr Emma Rowe, said.
One principal, who described their experience of dealing with a grant process from Australian Schools Plus, noted, “We received $20,000 from Schools Plus, which was a significant help, but the accountability measures and reporting requirements were overwhelming.”
Dr Rowe said principals’ reliance on philanthropic funding is only exacerbating educational inequities in Australia’s public school system.
“Philanthropy often imposes performative accountability measures on principals, which can be detrimental to their workload and long-term school resourcing,” she said. “It shifts the role of the principal from educational leader to grant chaser and revenue raiser.”
In response to the report’s findings, the researchers are calling for a significant increase in government funding for public schools to reduce the reliance on philanthropic grants, with stricter regulations on the conditions and accountability measures imposed by philanthropic organisations to reduce burden on school principals.
The report’s authors also recommend greater support and resources for school principals to help them manage the demands of grant applications and reporting.
“It is essential that we address the systemic issues of under-funding in public schools. Philanthropy can play a role, but it should not be seen as a replacement for adequate government funding.”
‘The benefits outweigh the administrative burden’
Responding to the Deakin University report, Australian Schools Plus CEO, Sherrill Nixon, said while grant applications and reporting require effort, “the benefits outweigh the administrative burden”
“Often designed collaboratively with schools, accountability measures ensure responsible use of funds and track outcomes. Schools overwhelmingly say our coaching is valuable,” Nixon told The Educator.
“Contrary to claims of exacerbating inequity, Schools Plus ensures philanthropic support prioritises disadvantaged schools, directing resources where they’re most needed so more students have the opportunities they need to succeed at school.”
Nixon said this support also allows schools to innovate, address specific needs, build teachers’ capacity and grow community engagement.
“Philanthropy complements, not replaces, government funding. By collaborating effectively, we can leverage philanthropy to create a more equitable and excellent education system.”
Nixon noted that more than 1,800 disadvantaged school communities have now benefited from the philanthropic funding and other support delivered by Schools Plus.
“Philanthropic funding plays a vital role in supporting disadvantaged schools, bridging opportunity gaps for children in lower socio-economic communities,” she said.
“Our partnerships with schools have helped children learn to read, develop STEM skills, learn a First Nations language and connect to culture, lift their attendance or build their social and emotional skills.”
According to the charity’s data, 88% of schools consider its coaching as “valuable and impactful to a great extent.”
One primary school in regional Victoria said the guidance and ability of their coach helped staff see things from new perspectives.
“These included offerings of strategies to solve issues or reframing our observations and helping us to see how this supports our data and overall journey,” the principal said. “The leadership group involved all stated this was the most fruitful coaching experiences they have experienced.”
Another principal who heads up a high school in South Australia, said the coaching provided by Schools Plus provided their school with a greater sense of how to implement its project on a broader scale than staff had initially intended.
“The support and belief provided by our coach, along with the strong understanding of logistic aspects of program implementation, were extremely valuable for us,” the principal said.
“[Our coach] understood the realities of working in a school and was able to give us practical advice around the logistics of the program. Her insights were so appreciated.”
‘A system responsibility’
Matt Grining, President of the Tasmanian Principals’ Association, said he has observed, anecdotally, an uptick in grant applications from Tasmanian principals.
“We’re seeing a lot of principals who are putting significant amount of time and energy into grant applications and going through critical processes for resources that ultimately should be the responsibility of the system,” Grining told The Educator.
“There have been individual schools and clusters of schools that have applied for grants so they could further their own improvement plan or engagement initiative.”
Grining said that while the grants application process can sometimes be burdensome, philanthropic funding helps to address critical resourcing shortages in needy schools and improve collaboration between principals and important community stakeholders.
“[Grants] have allowed these schools to have a leadership staffing allocation to get teachers collaborating across the school network and also with the local council and government.”