Parents Voice in Government School Education

Public schools short-changed on disability funding

This article in the Guardian exposes yet another unfair anomaly that sees wealthy private schools receive government disability assistance at far higher rates than public schools.

According to the article:

Wealthy private schools are receiving a government assistance payment for students with disabilities up to six times higher than that received in the public system…

New data shows that public school students eligible for a disability payment receive an average amount from the commonwealth of $2,941, while more than 100 non-government schools receive, on average, in excess of $10,000 per funded student.

The article goes on to explain how a complex system of funding distribution between federal and state governments leads to this shocking disparity.

It also quotes Victoria University’s Stephen Lamb, a former member of the National School Resourcing Board, who said the funding for students with disabilities nationally was a “dog’s breakfast”, and also criticised the lack of transparency about how funding is allocated.

Read the article

 

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