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.
