ABCDiamond

I agree it is VERY confusing !! And it should be explained properly so that everyone understands it. The info that abounds at this moment is political information, and therefore "rubbish", in my opinion.

The figures that I have quoted are (as far as I can be sure) the combined figure.
With the Wesley College, it seems that they receive $1,781 from the federal Government and the remaining $300 or so from the State Government. However I have had to calculate that from figures that I have accumulated, as the States do not seem to release much data. (Not that I can find anyway).

Some totals that I do have (2001/2002) are:

State Governments pay out $18.5 Billion to State schools
and only $1.8 Billion to private schools

Federal Government pays out $3.6 Billion to Private Schools
and $1.4 Billion to State Schools

So the State schools get $19.9 Billion 79% of all funds
and the Private schools get $5.4 Billion 21% of all funds
of the total $25.3 Billion

Student numbers are:
State schools - 2,254,632 - 68% of total, funded with 79% of tax funds
Private Schools - 1,063,988 - 32% of total, funded with 21% of tax funds


If you ONLY look at the federal figures as %'s then yes, it looks like Private schools get twice as much as State schools, but once the whole picture is seen, with the State apportionment giving only 10% of a larger figure to the Private schools, then you get a totally different scenario.

ABCDiamond

Some more figures to help explain the $4.1 Billion dollars mentioned by nickyc

Current funding is
2,254,632 State children at $8,864 ave each = $19,987,000,000
1,063,988 Private Children at $4,993 ave each = $5,313,000,000.00
Total Funding $25,300,000,000

If ALL Children were in State schools the figures would be
2,254,632 State children at $8,864 each $19,987,000,000
1,063,988 State Children at $8,864 each $9,432,106,062
Total Tax funding now needed $29,419,106,062

An EXTRA $4,119,106,062 tax would need to be collected to cover this shortfall currently being subsidised by the Private School system. Or, about an extra $500 per year in tax for the average tax payer, assuming 8 million taxpayers. (A figure I recall from somewhere)

No matter what people think, the bottom line is that the Private school system does allow more money to go towards each and every State School student, and without it we would all be paying more tax..

Olibeneli

Lovely.....exact sort of thing you want to hear.

Now I'm waiting for someone to come up with a horror story to balance this.
Very pleased your kids are having a "better" time...........there is no price you can pay for that.

Quinkana

Should put marbles on the ciriculum. Teaches coordination, counting, bookkeeping, market trading, politics, social awareness and, most imporantly for today, covetousness. No marbles - stay back a grade.

Gibbo

When my children started school here in the late sixties I wished that I could have sent them home to Scotland to be educated. I started teaching here in 1968 and was horrified at what was happening in schools. However today it is a different story. Although a lot depends on which school, public, your child goes to, the standard of education in NSW is as good, if not better, than you will find anywhere.

NickyC

More Federal Funds go to private schools - which is why people are complaining - but they neglect to mention that almost all State funds go to public schools. When you tot it all up State school pupils get much, much more money than private school pupils.

Federal Funding for private schools is based on the home postcode of the pupils attending that school. The less 'advantaged' postcodes get a higher percentage so schools in the country or outer suburbs collect more cash than those in posher suburbs. People always use the Kings School in Parramatta, Sydney as an example of an 'elite' school collecting pots of money from the Federal Government. This is because although it's very well-endowed with playing fields and the like - most of the kids come from the western end of Sydney or country NSW so it qualifies for a higher rate of funding.

jayr

So if parents who choose to send their kids to private school actually paid for the full cost, there would be a tax saving of $5.4 billion which could be given to state schools at no change to the taxpayer.

ABCDiamond

Yes, but if that was the option, many would be back in State schools very fast and the saving would never actually materialise.

One local Private school near me with about 1,000 children, who each pay about $2,000 per year for the schooling, would then be up for fees of nearer $9,000, and would have no choice but to drop out, and go back to State schools.

I also know some State school children who get extra tuition after school (Kumon) and pay $1,000 per subject. They could easily be paying the same fees as private students.
If funding for Private schools was stopped I would almost certainly do the same, and let the general taxpayer pay the full cost of educating my child, and then I would spend the fees I saved on extra education out of school, if required.

luvit

Hi I'm more of an observer than a poster, (fills you with useful and useless information) but all good, could you tell me please the name of the private school near you at $2000 per year.
Thanks in advance.

jensteve

This doesn't really answer you question but will give you an idea, we have been in Perth 6 weeks, my son is 12 so should by rights go back to primary school and go to high school in February with his age group. We went to a local primary who suggested groveling to the high school to join year 8 now as he had already completed a full year in the uk, he said it was not a good idea for him to be placed back into the primary education sylabus as it would confuse him.
So off we went to the local high schools all of which agreed that he could join early!! My views on state schools, well a parent put us off the local one just as we where leaving, turns out not such a nice school, the other reasonable one was full to bursting so I went to the private school, they agreed to let him join yr 8, and if his school work is of good standard can go into yr 9 in Feb, therefore missing out an entire year! The school presented itself well with uniforms, even the kids where happy, the local high schools did not opt for uniforms and they where noisy kids all over.
My son is so happy it is amazing, apparently no-one makes fun of his red hair that has always bugged him before so paying may be better in the long run. The fees are really good just over $3000 for a year, you have to add on books and $500ish for uniform, but well worth it. The sylabus seems good and he is happy with it, he even said his maths teacher is really nice.
Jenny