Changes to Funding Model Could Force Parents to Pull Children Out of Independent Schools in the Hunter

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Changes in funding models set to be imposed on all regional independent schools by 2022,  including Hunter Valley Grammar School and Newcastle Grammar, could see fees increase and parents of low income forced to pull their children out of school. 

The changes are part of the Government's 2017 Quality School Package, and will see government funding of regional independent schools calculated based on the schools ‘capacity to contribute’ or CTC.

This will be based on the median income of the schools parents and guardians, with the changes to be rolled out this year. 

Currently base government funding is determined by the schools Socio-Economic Status (SES) score, which utilizes area-based data from the ABS Census of Population and Housing.

The SES methodology was reviewed in 2018 by the National School Resourcing Board, with the board recommending that the area-based methodology be replaced with a direct measure of CTC, based on parental income tax data.

Principle of Hunter Valley Grammar School, Paul Teys, is concerned the changes will see fees increase and force low income earning parents to enroll their children elsewhere. 

"Now the problem with schools like ours in regional communities is that the income of our parents vary's so greatly across our demographic," he said.

"You know we have families who struggle to pay fees, they're in low socioeconomic areas and then we have parents who can afford our fees, but its such a broad range of income that it makes it extremely hard for us to understand how on earth this new funding formula is fair." 

Whilst it vary's from school to school, according to Independent Schools Council of Australia, on average independent schools receive 57% of their funding from private sources, mainly parents, with the remaining 43% provided by Government sources. 

Mr Teys in concerned the system will create a cycle which continues to reduce government funding.

"What happens with this new funding formula is that our fees increase, the low income families who struggle to pay our fees will have to leave the school," he said. 

"And the hideous thing is when they leave the school then you've got a higher income demographic and so your median SES actually rises again, and you'll have less government funding."

Mr Teys says the Government needed to provide clearer information to schools about how the new funding system works.

"So we have our new number, or index, but we have no idea how that's been calculated or determined," he said. 

"We've had no consultation, we've had no means of collaborating with Government, we can't even talk to our our associations who represent us, there's been no transparency whatsoever." 

The Coalition for Regional Independent Schools, which involves fifty schools from States and Territories across Australia, including Hunter Valley Grammar School and Newcastle Grammar, says the schools could be stripped of more than a million dollars a year under this new model.

They have raised concerns it could force them to cut programs, increase fees and, in some instances, potentially close their doors.

“Independent schools are often the heart and soul of local regional communities and the adoption of this flawed methodology will hurt many parents, students and families," The Chair of the Coalition, Stephen Higgs said. 

“We support a means-based funding scheme, but the proposed application of this new model fails the fundamental tests of fairness and transparency on which it was supposed to be based,” he said.

“Regional communities, many already reeling from the effects of drought, bush fires, and even floods, must be given immediate guarantees that their school funding will not be slashed."

“We are calling on the Government to ensure funding fairness for all independent schools under any new model,” he said.

                                 Image Credit: The Land

Domestic Violence Survivors offered Scholarship through the University of Newcastle

BY HANNAH-LOUISE ANDERSON

The University of Newcastle is offering a scholarship to survivors of Domestic and Family Violence to encourage and support their receiving of higher education.

This year thirty-four applications were received by the university for The Helen Maslen Scholarship with individuals describing past and ongoing instances of physical assault, intimidation, and harassment in the home.

The applicants disclosed the impacts of these experiences on their mental health and self-esteem, as well as the resulting homelessness and financial strain that came from leaving their situations.

Professor Penny-Jane Burke, the Director of the Centre for Equity in Higher Education stresses the importance of this scholarship in increasing the visibility of Domestic and Family Violence in the university environment.

"It is important because it raises the issue of domestic and family violence explicitly and how important it is to support women and families who have been victims of domestic and family violence to participate in higher education," says Burke, "...so it's a very important initiative that raises the profile and makes a specific agenda around this really important issue."

A survivor of domestic violence herself, Burke hopes the number, size, and longevity of the scholarship will continue to grow as the improved opportunity to receive higher education, "It is an incredible and important support mechanism for those women who want to access higher education but don't necessarily have the means to do so..."

One scholarship will be available each year for the next five years to anyone that has been a victim of Domestic and Family Violence regardless of age, gender or other factors.

Photo by The University of Newcastle Website

Funding Boost For Lake Macquarie College

BY CATHERINE ALLEN

Heritage College Lake Macquarie in Morisset is set to benefit from a record investment into education by the NSW Liberal National Government.

The school will receive $800,000 in funding as part of a planned $6 billion investment into education by the state government over the next four years.

The school has earmarked the funding for a much-needed facilities upgrade that will see the construction of a secondary student classroom block with four general learning areas, storage, verandahs and staff administration areas.

The project is set to cost approximately $2 million with the school contributing the remaining $1.2 million.

Liberal candidate for Lake Macquarie Lindsay Paterson was present for the announcement and spoke positively of the investment.

"Heritage College Lake Macquarie has been providing outstanding education since 1997 and I'm pleased the NSW Government is able to assist them with an expansion to cater for more secondary students".

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald MLC joined Mr Paterson alongside Hunter College's Principal Simon Dodson and Member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper for the funding announcement - stating that he was pleased to be supporting the upgrade.

"I am delighted the NSW Liberal-National Government is supporting this much-needed project, which will benefit the entire Morisset community," said Mr MacDonald.

"Investment in the education of our young people is one of the best investments any government can make.

I'm pleased with this allocation to Heritage College which comes at a time when significant investments are being made in major redevelopments of Wangi Wangi and Speers Point public schools," Mr Piper added.

Education Minister Rob Stokes said the investment will be delivered through the NSW Government's Building Grants Assistance Scheme (BGAS), an initiative that provides funding for independent and Catholic schools to cater for growing students numbers by upgrading their facilities.

"All students deserve the very best facilities to learn and grow in, no matter what school they go to," Mr Stokes said.

The planned $6 billion investment by the State Government over the next four years is set to be the largest investment into public school infrastructure by any State Government in Australian history.