Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations of New South Wales

Ph: 1300 885 982 Fax: 1800 655 866

Funding

Section 9: Funding
A: GENERAL

PREMISE 9A (a)

Governments have an obligation to provide and maintain a government school system of the highest possible standard. Their sole financial responsibility is to that system.

PREMISE 9A (b)

The full range of post-school institutions should be well funded. All students meeting the requirements and accepted into full-time courses should be supported from public funds with allowances which meet their reasonable needs for study, social and general living expenses.

POLICY

9.1 Private individuals and organisations can make a valuable contribution to the quality of public education, but P&C Federation rejects the concept of commercial sponsorship when it exerts any influence on school management or the curriculum.

9.2 Sponsorship activities must reflect sound educational policy and must not conflict with the philosophies and ideals of a strong public education system.

9.3 All recurrent grants from both State and Federal Governments should be increased annually in line with CPI rises.

9.4 Post-school student allowances should be free of means tests or any other conditions promoting continued forced dependence on parents or relatives, both because of the students' needs for independence by this age and because tertiary expenses should not be used as an additional means of redistributing income within the community.

9.5 P&C Federation requires State and Federal Governments to ensure, that in relation to all schools (Public, Private, Catholic Systemic or other) there be transparent and published accounting for all funding of school projects (libraries, music-drama-sporting facilities, etc).

9.6 P&C Federation requires all public education be fee-free for Australian citizens and residents at school, TAFE and university to the level of an undergraduate degree; but until that is achieved P&C Federation demands of government that no interest be charged on any student loan systems which exists, or may be developed by governments.

B: FUNDING OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

PREMISE 9B

P&C Federation recognises the democratic right of people to educate their children as they choose provided that certain strictly defined and enforced standards of education are maintained, but insists that non-government schools neither be established by nor supported from government funds. While recognising the value of diversity, P&C Federation considers that flexibility and diversity within the government school system is more in the national interest than is the promotion of non government schools.

POLICY

9.7 P&C Federation believes that governments should not be in the business of funding non-government schools, and especially not the wealthier private schools.

C: FEDERAL FUNDING

PREMISE 9C

The Federal Government must continue to provide funds to enable the recommendations of the Schools Council of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training as they relate to government schools to be fully implemented. For effective planning, such funds should be provided on a triennium basis.

POLICY

9.8 P&C Federation supports the values and principles relating to government schools as stated by the former Commonwealth Schools Commission and insists that these be retained by the Schools Council of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET).

9.9 The Federal Government should maintain an improvement program through the Commonwealth-State Resource Agreements. However, existing specific purpose programs should be the responsibility of the Schools Council of NBEET.

9.10 All recipients of federal funding, whether they be state governments, institutions or individuals, must be required to provide full and public accountability and be subject to government auditing. Accountability should include a regard for educational advancement.

9.11 The Federal Government should maintain an improvement program through the capital works program.

D: STATE GOVERNMENT'S FUNDING ROLE

PREMISE 9D

The New South Wales Government must accept full responsibility for the funding of government school education in this state.

POLICY

9.12 The New South Wales Government has an over-riding responsibility to fund the government school system in this state at a level that provides adequate buildings, equipment, staff and other resources to allow all children to receive an education suitable for their individual needs.

9.13 The NSW Government should request the Federal Government to:

(a) ensure that Commonwealth-State Resource Agreements encompass arrangements that will mean that there are sufficient funds available to allow the recommendations of the Schools Council of NBEET to be fully implemented;

(b) ensure that parents are involved in decisions on the education components of such agreements; and

(c) ensure that where education facilities are not available locally and it is necessary for children to board away from home, their parents receive compensation towards the extra expenses incurred.

9.14 Any system of school funding, including global budgeting, must:

(a) be consistent with Premise 9A;

(b) uphold the principle of equality of outcomes;

(d) be sufficiently flexible to adequately and promptly respond to changes in funding and resource requirements; and

(e) ensure that schools are provided with appropriately skilled persons and sufficient resources to properly administer that system. In particular, school principals should not be required to make funding decisions on the basis of an expressed or implied threat of dismissal or other action if expenditure exceeds a fixed level of funds.

9.15 The allocation of schools' global budgets should not only rely solely on historical or formula based data it must take into account locally identified needs.

9.16 P&C Federation believes that where the allocation of funding for school services (power, waste, telephone / internet, etc.) in a school's global budget falls below the actual costs due to rises in charges, the DET shall meet the difference between the allocated funds and the actual costs to the school.

9.17 P&C Federation objects to demands being placed on parents of children in government schools for financial contributions towards meeting the everyday running costs of schools.

9.18 The NSW Government should introduce a system of cash grants to school communities so that real meaning can be given to the Community Involvement Policy of this P&C Federation. The usual audit requirements should be applied for the purpose of accounting for the use of these local school grants.

9.19 The NSW Government should ensure that all equipment and aids necessary for the implementation of current school curricula are supplied and maintained without cost to parents.

9.20 The DET should meet the expenses incurred when children are selected for representation in State sporting carnivals.

9.21 The DET should ensure that funds used for the rebuilding and/or re-equipping of government schools that have been damaged by fire, flood or vandalism come from a special fund and not be charged against the Department's capital or maintenance budget allocation.

9.22 Funds allocated to Principals for minor maintenance should be restored to a realistic level, having regard for inflation over the last ten years, and these allocations should henceforth be increased annually in line with CPI rises.

9.23 P&C Federation believes the Federal Government should remove the necessity of all public schools to pay GST on any purchases involved in teaching and learning provisions as well as school service charges and this should also extend to purchases by P&C associations for the same items.

Action Items

1. That P&C Federation calls on the DET to increase the global budget allocation for telephone services in all schools. (2003)

2. That this Conference vigorously oppose the Federal Government's 2003 proposals to change HECS Scheme, which will result in much higher fees for tertiary education students. (2003)

3. That P&C Federation campaigns actively for the end of all funding of schools that were in the former P&C Federation funding categories 1, 2 and 3 and that P&C Federation encourages every government school to actively campaign on this issue and that the monies be redirected to government schools according to need. (2003)

4. That P&C Federation calls on the Federal Treasurer to cease the discriminatory practice with respect to scholarships which deems them to be part of income if the recipient uses them to offset the cost of living and to meet staggered HECS payments while excluding them in the calculation of income if the recipient uses them to pay the HECS fee up front. (2003)

5. That P&C Federation calls on the Federal Treasurer to allow the treatment of food sold as part of boarding fees in public schools with boarding facilities as "input taxed" to bring them into line with food provided in nursing homes, aged care facilities or school canteens. (2003)

6. That schools should not be required to pay salaries for casual and relief staff out of their global budgets. (2003)

7. That P&C Federation request that the School Students Transport Subsidy Scheme be reviewed, to allow for free transport of all students to their nearest appropriate zoned public school. (2003)

8. That P&C Federation calls on the Commonwealth Government to extend tax deductibility on all donations to government schools and parent organizations in government schools. (2004)

9. That P&C Federation calls on both the Federal and State Governments to cease the allocation of funding to non-government schools and to reallocate those funds to the public education system. (2004)

19. That the P&C Federation demand that where the allocation of funding for school services (power, waste, telephone/internet, etc.) in a school’s global budget falls below the actual costs due to rises in charges, the Department of Education and Training shall meet the difference between the allocated funds and the actual costs to the school. (2004)

20. That P&C Federation pursues with the Federal and State Governments a complete system of accountability and transparency to apply to all schools and school systems in receipt of government funding. (2004)

21. That P&C Federation demand the Department of Education and Training increase the global budget to schools to cover the recurring expenses that technology (e-mail and fax etc.) has imposed on the schools clerical and administration finances. (2004)

22. That whilst the Federal Government imposes HECS P&C Federation calls on the Federal Government to abolish interest which is applied to debt accrual via HECS. (2004)

23. P&C Federation requires all public education be fee-free for Australian citizens and residents at school, TAFE and university to the level of an undergraduate degree but until that is achieved P&C Federation demands of government that no interest be charged on any student loan systems which exists or may be developed by governments. (2004)