The Structure and Funding of School Systems and Making Schools Better

The Structure and Funding of School Systems and Making Schools Better

Prof. Peter Dawkins

November 2004

How do we make schools better?

Several determinants of good schools:-

• The quality of teachers is the most important variable [as opposed to class sizes

etc.] in making schools better. This is supported by much research and data.

So how do we affirm good teachers?

It is important to reward good teachers. Measurement of good teaching isn’t difficult for principals. One option is to pay good teachers higher wages.

• Socio economic background remains an influence of students’ performance and achievement.
• Location can also be a disadvantage
• Public v Private. There are a complicated range of reasons why on average, private schools do better than public sector schools. Private schools do have advantages. Issue is whether public sector can capture such advantages?

Residualisation of public sector is taking place. Parents are moving children from public to private. The danger is the widening gap between the two sectors. Is the answer to reform the Australian system of funding? This is difficult because of the big range of types of private schools and how they are funded. Unlike the UK, Australia has more students in private schools so reform is more complicated. We do need to attempt to get a more integrated system.

Funding Models

There is a wide variety of models around the world.

Funding is often tied to students and student numbers. Government funding is often not tied to government school ownership. Privately owned schools could be part of the public system and funded similarly to public schools. Government funded schools have a limited ability to change fees to create a level playing field.

There is a general will between State and Federal Governments to improve the integration of education – to achieve a more national system.

Suggested principles for an integrated public/private system

• Funding to be student focused. Per student allowance. Families choose school and schools are given considerable autonomy in service delivery
• Privately owned schools operating with Government funds would have same restrictions as public schools.
• Private schools not wanting to belong to public system would not receive public money or at least a considerably reduced subsidy

Equity issues

• Per student funding could be linked to means test of family income – danger with this is it can increase poverty traps.
• Alternative is to take the average income of families in the area in which student lives to determine access to government funds. Own income increases would affect student funding.
• Parents occupation will influence this
• Could offer income contingent loans –to be paid back based on future income of student [this is at the radical end of ideas]

Should schools able to charge top-up fees?

• Government could prohibit compulsory fees – not many private schools would join a system where this rule applied
• This would take a lot of $’s out of education.
• Could implement a Fee ‘tax’, ie if a school charges fees, it gets a reduced subsidy.
• Families with students in schools getting low subsidies (because of higher income location) could pay top up fees.
• This system could still get quite segregated.
• Schools could be asked to keep fee free places available – this would be attempt to rectify equality issues.

Conclusion

An integrated public – private school system would avoid residualisation of public school system, raise choice of and accessibility to schools, and raise quality of schools.

A possible student-based funding system for schools could include differential subsidies, taxed top up fees, fee exemptions and fee free places.