Getting school funding right

Accepting that we should not penalise education spending might allow us to revamp the private school funding formula so that all schools are financed according to their needs. Middle-income parents who choose to send their children to high-fee schools should get more government assistance than rich parents who opt to send their children to low-fee schools.

Measuring outputs would help parents select the best school, and let voters find out which private schools are adding value, and which ones are skimming the cream.

And making funding transparent puts the bargaining power in the hands of low-income parents, who can march up to the principal and ask why they’re bringing the school nearly $7,000 in federal funds, yet not getting a discount on their tuition.

Ultimately, getting private school funding right is essential if the system is to be applied to public schools, as Gillard has proposed. Tantalising as it is to envisage public schools in the poorest neighbourhoods bidding six-figure salaries to attract the best teachers, there’s a long way to go yet.