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Legislative Council 17180 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Thursday 27 September 2001 ______ The President (The Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann) took the chair at 11.00 a.m. The President offered the Prayers. PETITIONS Morisset Policing Petition praying that a permanent police presence be returned to Morisset, received from the Hon. Michael Gallacher. Cooks Cove Industrial Estate Petition praying that the House abandon the proposed development of Cooks Cove industrial estate, North Arncliffe, and protect the area for future generations, received from Ms Lee Rhiannon. School Funding Petition praying that the House pass the Education Amendment (Reduction of Financial Assistance to Wealthy Non-government) Schools Bill, received from Ms Lee Rhiannon. Old-growth Forests Protection Petition praying for the cessation of logging and woodchipping in high conservation forests, protection of old-growth forests and critical habitats, use of plantation timber, and support for composting, soil remineralisation and environmental education tourism, received from Ms Lee Rhiannon. EDUCATION AMENDMENT (REDUCTION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO WEALTHY NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS) BILL Second Reading Debate resumed from 26 September. The Hon. IAN COHEN [11.06 a.m.]: It is with pleasure that I speak to the Education Amendment (Reduction of Financial Assistance to Wealthy Non-government Schools) Bill. I congratulate my colleague Ms Lee Rhiannon on introducing such a socially progressive bill and important bill. Ms Lee Rhiannon should be commended for her untiring work in connection with public education since she became a member of this Parliament. Over the past few years since the Federal Coalition was elected in 1996 there has been an outrageous increase in public funding for private schools, especially wealthy private schools. An enormous increase in taxpayers' funds has been funnelled into the private school system rather than being used to finance the public education system. The Greens have a strong pro public education policy which states: The Greens believe that a safe, fair, tolerant, cohesive and democratic Australia requires a quality, well-funded public education system. The Greens strongly oppose taxpayers' money being spent on funding wealthy private schools. In short, that is a disgrace. It is more important than ever that this bill be passed since the Federal Government's Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment Scheme and its new socioeconomic status formula were introduced. This new policy, which was brought in through the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000, determines Commonwealth funding of schools. The Act deals with $22 billion worth of funding over the next four years. It delivers $6 billion to non-government schools other than Catholic schools, $9 billion to Catholic schools, and only $7 billion to State schools. Seventy per cent of children attend public schools, yet they get only 32 per cent of the funding. Not only is this new funding system an absolute kick in the teeth for public schools, it will also produce some 27 September 2001 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 17181 ludicrous results. When this policy was being debated, the media gave a good example: Kings School in Parramatta. That school will receive an additional $1.4 million of public money every year despite its having a myriad of cricket ovals, five basketball courts, a swimming pool, a rifle range and low teacher/student ratios. The Hon. Doug Moppett: It has all been worth it: it produced Arthur Chesterfield-Evans! The Hon. IAN COHEN: I thank the Hon. Doug Moppett for his support. The infamous Trinity Grammar, which was rocked by recent sexual assault allegations, will receive a $1,402 windfall for each child, which is a 172 per cent increase. St Joseph's College will be $1,628 per student better off, which is a 280 per cent increase. Yet the 2,200 public schools in New South Wales will have their funding cut by $135 million by 2004. According to the New South Wales Teachers Federation this will mean that secondary school students in public schools will receive only an extra $5 per student annually. Individual schools such as Cambridge Park High School at Penrith can expect cuts of $60,000 by 2004. These kinds of ridiculous, inequitable policies are the reason why it is necessary to channel money from rich private schools to public schools and, in particular, to disadvantaged public schools. A recent pamphlet distributed by the Teachers Federation explains succinctly the importance of public education. The pamphlet states: Public education has made Australia one of the safest, most democratic and cohesive societies in the world. Public education is dedicated to giving all Australians the foundations upon which to build a future for themselves and their families. It is open and accessible to all. It does not discriminate. It develops self-motivated learners and responsible, co-operative and caring adults. Public education maximises the performance of all students from all parts of society. We should encourage and cherish public education, not continuously attack it and reduce its funding level. This bill seeks to do just that. It redirects money from the most wealthy private schools—the old categories 1, 2 and 3—to the Priority Schools Funding Program, formerly known as the Disadvantaged Schools Program. This extremely worthwhile program reduces class sizes in government schools in areas of significant socioeconomic disadvantage. Private schools receive State funds of approximately $40 million, which will be redirected from schools and students who desperately need increased funding. Interestingly, the non-government school sector also receives a substantial amount each year to subsidise interest on loans for approved buildings for private schools. For instance, last financial year $35 million was allocated for this purpose and this year $36 million has been allocated. This policy has provided some inequitable results. The Daily Telegraph reported on 26 February that a State high school, Hunters Hill, which has almost 600 students, had been waiting for four months to find out when its school hall and gymnasium would be rebuilt after it had burned down in a fire last year. Although this school is one of the schools earmarked for closure, it still highlights the challenges and difficulties facing public schools when it comes to finding money for urgently needed repairs and maintenance. On the other hand, less than a kilometre away, the elite private boys boarding school of St Joseph's College was granted a $500,000 subsidy for building work. This was on top of a $1.7 million loan last financial year. The school already boasts a rowing club, tennis courts, basketball courts and a fitness centre. These kinds of examples and policies highlight the disgraceful inequities between the private and public education system. There are two clear reasons for supporting the funding mechanisms in this bill. First, State subsidisation of the wealthiest private schools encourages the growth of social and economic inequality. By pouring $40 million each year into these schools the New South Wales State Government is increasing the privilege of those that already have resources that far outstrip anything in the State school system. The consequential growth in the difference between the education environment of the wealthy and the educational environment of the rest of Australia cannot lead to a more cohesive society. The second reason for supporting the funding mechanisms proposed in the bill is the additional funds it would deliver to the Priority Schools Funding Program, which was originally conceived in the early 1970s as the Disadvantaged Schools Program. Under that program Federal funds were directed to schools that service communities with significant socioeconomic disadvantage. The intent was to address the aggregated effects of disadvantage on educational outcomes. When the Howard Government came to office it cancelled this program and concentrated its Federal funds instead on literacy and numeracy programs and on massive increases to the wealthy private schools. Only in New South Wales did the State Government continue to fund the program. However, it is chronically starved of funds. Each year schools are removed from the program, though all of them service communities with more than 50 per cent unemployment. Although the schools funded by the program do a remarkable job, additional 17182 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 27 September 2001 funding would allow greater depth of activities in those schools and allow for a greater breadth of schools to be covered. This bill would double funds to the Priority Schools Funding Program, and that would have a real and measurable impact on the learning outcomes in the most disadvantaged areas of New South Wales. There is no doubt that the long-term benefits for all of society justify this bill. As long as there are students who are left behind and communities that are severely disadvantaged, there will be social division and insecurity. The measures contained in this bill are essential not only for communities that would directly gain from them but for all society because they work towards a more just and peaceful future. I wish to pay tribute to the teachers in schools within the Priority Schools Funding Program. Despite working under some of the most stressful conditions in the entire education system, these teachers and their students are engaged in leading-edge pedagogy. The quality and quantity of innovative teaching practices emerging from these priority funded schools are remarkable. Like so many other teachers, the staff at these public schools work hard to achieve the very best for their students, and in many cases they achieve extraordinary outcomes, often giving of their own time and energy beyond levels that could reasonably be expected of them. This House is honour bound to give those teachers all our support and this bill would, in some measure, do that. Another aspect of this bill deserves attention. For the first time the bill imposes legislative requirements on private schools to make public their accounts and records in the same way that public schools are required to do.
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