The only funding model Gonski ever got

The base factor would be $354,540 for all but the smallest primary school and $1,418,160 for a secondary school in 2024.

The base factor would be paid to government schools only in recognition of the government's duty to provide schools throughout the country, a duty the non-government sector does not have.

A non-government primary school with 400 students would need to charge fees of $886 per student to compensate for the fact that it was not eligible for base funding.

A non-government secondary school with 800 students would need to charge fees of $1,773 per student to compensate for the fact that it was not eligible for base funding.

Schools that wanted to charge more in fees would be free to do so, but their student learning entitlement would be reduced.

In addition, there would be loadings for disadvantage, as there are now, for all students with extra needs, irrespective of the school they attended.

Finally – and separately from whatever model is applied – we need to remove the basis for the dishonest argument that the federal government pays 80 per cent of non-government schools' entitlements but only 20 per cent of government schools' entitlements. This is factual, but still dishonest. The dishonesty arises because the argument always ignores the much greater favouring of government schools in the states' funding arrangements. The solution is simple. The federal government should pay 30 per cent of the entitlement of every school, government and non-government, and the state government should pay 70 per cent of the entitlement of every school, government and non-government.

The whole point of the model is to reduce educationally damaging social stratification in Australia's schools while preserving parents' right to decide which school best meets the needs of their own children.

It is not too late for the federal, state and territory governments to adopt such a model. In fact, it is essential that they do so if their claims about reducing social stratification in our schools and lifting overall educational performance are to be taken seriously