The Australian government’s announcement this week about school funding is a positive response to growing concerns in the schooling sector. An additional $2.2 billion on top $1.2 billion announced last year will flow towards schools in the next four years. There are several other significant parts to the model including improved funding for students with disabilities, slight increases to the base funding for primary and secondary students and a gradual ‘evening out’ of funding to the Independent sector, overcoming some historical anomalies and those created by compromises to the original Gonski model.

While there is bound to be a difference of opinion about how much schools will gain or lose, a commitment to improving education for all Australian children is an important commitment. The Association of Independent Schools issued the attached measured media release today and I publish this for your interest. School funding plans a welcome development 02May2017

Newcastle Grammar School is currently funded at the average Commonwealth share of the School Resource Standard and is not one of the twenty four Independent schools named recently in the media. Based on current information we are not expecting significant gains or losses of Federal funding under this new model.