Victoria's problem with funding educational success

Research associated with the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) shows that students at Catholic and independent schools, in relation to Year 12 results, achieve scores 6 to 12 points higher than government school students – enough to decide whether students get into their university course of first choice.

Non-government schools, on the whole, also outperform government schools in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests and international tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

While non-government school critics argue that such schools only achieve strong results because their students come from wealthy and privileged backgrounds, once again, reality proves otherwise.

An analysis by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) concludes that after controlling results for factors like students' background non-government schools still do better than government schools.

The ACER report concludes, "Multivariate analysis indicates that the differences between school sectors remain significant after making statistical allowances for the influence of other factors".

A second LSAY study examining the factors influencing whether students stay on and complete Year 12 also throws doubt on the argument that students' home background is a significant influence.

It suggests that factors like family income "have only a small effect on Year 12 completion" and that factors like parental education and occupational status are "less significant than previously indicated".

More important factors are student motivation, ability, and whether there is a strong expectation from parents and teachers that academic excellence is a worthy pursuit and that, with hard work, diligence and application, success is possible.

As many parents understand, academic achievement is not the sole measure of whether schools are successful or not. And it is here, once again, that non-government schools perform very well.

Students in Catholic schools experience less racism than government school students, such students are also more likely to volunteer for community service and non-government school students have a greater chance of earning more when in the workforce.

As to why non-government schools achieve such strong results the reasons are not hard to find. Once again, based on research, the evidence is that such schools have a disciplined and orderly classroom environment with minimal disruption.

Successful schools also have a rigorous and challenging curriculum, highly motivated and well rewarded teachers, and school values that reflect those of parents and the home.

Australia has a tripartite system of education and instead of demonising non-government schools it would be better to identify why such schools are successful and to use such information to ensure all schools, both government and non-government, are better able to lift students' performance and to strengthen educational outcomes.