Question on Notice No. 432 Asked on 5 June 2013 Ms Palaszczuk asked the Minister for Education, Training and Employment (MR LANGBROEK) – QUESTION: Will the Minister provide details of all Queensland schools that the Newman Government believes will be worse off under the National Plan for School Improvement (the Gonski funding reforms) and the modelling and methodology used for making these assessments? ANSWER: I thank the Member for her question. I have been advised by my Department that: The figure of 300 schools comes from a very large and complex calculator tool provided to the Queensland Government by the Australian Government on 17 April 2013. The Australian Government’s proposed national funding model centres around a base per-student amount intended to reflect the cost of educating a student to an acceptable standard. This amount is then topped up with values for a range of loadings designed to address disadvantage factors affecting the school and its students. The Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) model proposed by the Australian Government calculates a theoretical amount of funding for each school in Australia, using historical My School financial and non-financial data and other estimates for the period 2010 to 2012 and projecting this out to 2019 and beyond. When discussing schools that may be ‘worse off’ (Table 1) my Department is using the latest Australian Government calculator to compare what a school’s current level of resourcing would be if indexed according to the standard rates for Queensland schools, versus what the school would receive under the proposed SRS model. Queensland’s existing resourcing models for state schools and non-state schools are already needs-based, reflecting factors such as school size, location and student demographics. Schools deemed to be above their theoretical SRS funding level would receive a fixed minimum 3% level of indexation (plus enrolment growth) over a number of years to ensure their funding grows more slowly than other schools until they reach a lower relative level of funding. A broad range of school types would receive the minimum 3% level of indexation (plus enrolment growth), including both high and low socio-economic schools. Hence, a substantial number of disadvantaged schools would receive the lowest level of indexation and no additional funding over this time. Some schools would be fixed at this minimum indexation level for several decades. Schools deemed to be at their theoretical SRS level would receive annual indexation of 3.6% (plus enrolment growth). Schools deemed to be below their theoretical SRS level would receive additional recurrent funding associated with the SRS model as well as annual indexation of 3.6% (plus enrolment growth). This additional funding would be based on theoretical funding levels calculated using a complex set of assumptions and equations. More details on the loadings equations and selected other aspects of the proposed SRS model are available online at www.betterschools.gov.au/funding . The latest available version of the calculator also includes a set of ‘transition rate’ assumptions which are designed to slow the rate of funding increase over the period 2014-2019 so that Queensland only achieves 95% of the total SRS by 2019. This would result in a further substantial government funding increase required from 2020. The figure of 300 ‘worse off’ schools is calculated as at the 2019 school year and using the 17 April 2013 version of the Australian Government calculator. The number of such schools is of less significance than their characteristics, as the list contains a substantial number of disadvantaged schools including low socio-economic schools. Conversely, many large, metropolitan high-achieving schools would gain substantially from the proposed SRS model. In summary, under the Australian Government’s SRS model a substantial number of disadvantaged schools would be fixed on the lowest level of indexation for many years and would therefore receive a lower level of annual funding increase relative to most other schools, including many large, metropolitan high-achieving schools. Some schools would be fixed at this minimum indexation level for decades. The Queensland Government is one of many stakeholders that have repeatedly asked the Australian Government to publish the school-level results of its proposed SRS model in order to provide greater transparency and certainty. The Australian Government claims this information remains subject to confidentiality while bilateral negotiations continue with states, territories and non-government sectors. This situation is creating considerable uncertainty for schools needing to plan and budget for the 2014 school year, including non-government schools needing to plan their 2014 fee levels. The Queensland Government has not been provided with an updated calculator tool since 17 April 2013. This calculator tool has not yet been amended to reflect changes to the proposed national funding model as negotiated between the New South Wales Government and Australian Government in April 2013, nor does it reflect subsequent changes announced through media as part of the Australian Government’s ongoing negotiations with other states, territories and sectors. Table 1: Schools that may be ‘worse off’ under the Commonwealth Government’s proposed funding reforms School Name Suburb Sector School Type Percent Change Acacia Ridge State School ACACIA RIDGE Gov. Primary -2.1% Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre BRISBANE Cath. Special -5.3% Alexandra Hills State School ALEXANDRA HILLS Gov. Primary -2.1% All Hallows School BRISBANE Cath. Combined -3.0% Allenstown State School ROCKHAMPTON Gov. Primary -2.5% Alloway State School BUNDABERG Gov. Primary -2.1% Angli can Church Grammar School EAST BRISBANE Indp. Combined -5.8% Applethorpe State School APPLETHORPE Gov. Primary -0.2% Aquinas College SOUTHPORT Cath. Secondary -6.4% Aratula State School ARATULA Gov. Primary -1.8% Aspley East State School ASPLEY Gov. Pr imary -2.4% Assumption College WARWICK Cath. Secondary -6.3% Australian Christian College - Moreton CABOOLTURE Indp. Combined -5.2% Australian Trade College North Brisbane SCARBOROUGH Indp. Secondary -5.1% Autism Queensland Education and Therapy Centre SUNNYBANK HILLS Indp. Special -1.1% Bajool State School BAJOOL Gov. Primary -2.5% Balmoral State High School MORNINGSIDE Gov. Secondary -2.2% Bartle Frere State School BARTLE FRERE Gov. Primary 0.0% Beechmont State School BEECHMONT Gov. Primary -1.6% Beerwah State School BEERWAH Gov. Primary -2.3% Bell State School BELL Gov. Combined -1.9% Berrinba East State School BERRINBA Gov. Primary -0.2% Biggenden State School BIGGENDEN Gov. Combined -2.2% Brigidine College INDOOROOPILLY Cath. Secondary -5.7 % Brisbane Boys College TOOWONG Indp. Combined -5.5% Brisbane Girls Grammar School BRISBANE Indp. Secondary -5.6% Brisbane Grammar School BRISBANE Indp. Combined -5.8% Brisbane School of Distance Education COORPAROO Gov. Combined -2.1% Brisbane Youth Education and Training Centre WACOL Gov. Combined -1.6% Brookstead State School BROOKSTEAD Gov. Primary -1.9% Bundaberg West State School BUNDABERG WEST Gov. Primary -2.5% Bungunya State School BUNGUNYA Gov. Primary -0.3% Buranda State School BURANDA Gov. Primary -1.2% Burleigh Heads State School BURLEIGH HEADS Gov. Primary -2.3% School Name Suburb Sector School Type Percent Change Burnside State High School NAMBOUR Gov. Secondary -0.7% Burnside State School NAMBOUR Gov. Primary -2.3% Cairns School of Distance Education MANUNDA CAIRNS Gov. Combined -1.8% Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School CAMP HILL Gov. Primary -2.4% Cannon Hill Anglican College MORNINGSIDE Indp. Combined -6.4% Canossa Convent School TREBONNE Cath. Primary -1.3% Capricornia (Emerald Campus) School of Distance Education EMER ALD Gov. Combined -1.9% Carmel College THORNLANDS Cath. Secondary -0.9% Carole Park State School CAROLE PARK Gov. Primary -2.7% Cecil Plains State School CECIL PLAINS Gov. Combined -1.9% Chanel College GLADSTONE Cath. Secondary -6.3% Charleville Schoo l of Distance Education CHARLEVILLE Gov. Combined -1.9% Charters Towers Central State School CHARTERS TOWERS Gov. Primary -2.2% Charters Towers School of Distance Education CHARTERS TOWERS Gov. Combined -1.9% Chatsworth State School CHATSWORTH Gov. Prim ary -2.6% Chevallum State School CHEVALLUM Gov. Primary -2.4% Christian Outreach College TOOWOOMBA Indp. Combined -6.6% Citipointe Christian College The Christian Outreach College Brisbane CARINDALE Indp. Combined -6.3% Clairvaux -Mackillop College UPPE R MOUNT GRAVATT Cath. Secondary -4.7% Clayfield College CLAYFIELD Indp. Combined -6.0% Cleveland Education and Training Centre BELGIAN GARDENS Gov. Combined -1.5% Coolnwynpin State School CAPALABA Gov. Primary -2.2% Coorparoo Secondary College COORPARO O Gov. Secondary -2.2% Crow's Nest State School CROW'S NEST Gov. Combined -2.2% Dagun State School DAGUN Gov. Primary -1.8% Darlington State School DARLINGTON Gov. Primary -1.8% Depot Hill State School ROCKHAMPTON Gov. Primary -1.0% Downlands Sacred H eart College TOOWOOMBA Cath. Secondary -6.3% Dutton Park State School DUTTON PARK Gov. Primary -2.3% Eagleby South State School EAGLEBY Gov. Primary -2.3% Earnshaw State College BANYO Gov. Combined -0.3% East Brisbane State School EAST BRISBANE Gov. Pr imary -2.2% Eight Mile Plains State School EIGHT MILE PLAINS Gov. Primary -2.0% Emerald North State School EMERALD Gov. Primary -1.9% Emmaus College ROCKHAMPTON NORTH Cath. Secondary -1.6% Emu Creek State School GREENMOUNT EAST Gov. Primary -2.0% School Name Suburb Sector School Type Percent Change Ever ton Park State High School EVERTON PARK Gov. Secondary -1.9% Farleigh State School FARLEIGH Gov. Primary -1.9% Ferny Hills State School FERNY HILLS Gov. Primary -2.4% Flagstone Creek State School FLAGSTONE CREEK Gov. Primary -2.0% Fortitude Valley Stat e School FORTITUDE VALLEY Gov. Primary -2.1% Freestone State School FREESTONE Gov. Primary -1.9% Gabbinbar State School TOOWOOMBA Gov. Primary -2.2% Gatton State School GATTON Gov. Primary -2.3% Givelda State School GIVELDA Gov. Primary -2.0% Gladston e Central State School GLADSTONE Gov. Primary -1.9% Glamorgan Vale State School GLAMORGAN VALE Gov.