Public school underspending - why blame the Commonwealth?

Indeed, since 2014 Commonwealth funding has risen at a faster rate for state public schools compared to the non-government sector (53 per cent to 23 per cent). Meanwhile the states have increased their funding for non-government schools at the same rate of state schools – just 12 per cent.

Also ignored is that the Commonwealth's direct school funding is supplemented by general revenue untied grants to the states which according to federal budget papers provided in 2023-4 over 58 per cent of the revenue that the states spend on education.

Finally, let's be clear – public schools receive more government funding per student than non-government students. In 2021-22 total government funding per public school student was $22,511 compared to $14,032 for non-government students.

The protest buses to Canberra demanding more Commonwealth funding are heading in the wrong direction. They should be parked outside state premiers' and education ministers' offices loudly hailing them to take up their education responsibilities and provide the level of funding they promised, required by law and needed by their own students.

States say they lack the resources to fully fund their public schools as most run budget deficits thanks but it's a matter of priorities – when are the states going to put students first?

Also, it is time all realised that the quality of our school education systems resides with the states, not the Commonwealth. It is the states that register and regulate all schools, set the curriculum, employ most teachers and accredit teacher courses.

In further proof of the states' negligence The National School Resourcing Board that monitors the school funding model reporting last year on regional and remote school funding, found poor cooperation from the states in providing data and a lack of transparency in how funding was allocated. Nothing substantive has happened about that report.

Only when the states are held to account, when they are asked to take responsibility for the constitutional powers they hold so dear, will Australia address our continuing education performance slide.