Massive Increase In Funding To Church Schools While Public Systems Suffer

State Aid was re-introduced as a result of political blackmail. Whatever was given in one year was a prelude to the demands for the next year and following years. A little whetted the appetite for much more. In the opening phases, modest amounts were sought. Deference became preference and now preference has become near monopoly. The Church has truly invaded the Public Treasury. Public funds are open to plunder. The group with the most supporters, the largest political lobby, and the greatest political power, has and will be best able to exploit the public treasury for what it chooses to call education.

Brother Kelvin Canavan, Director of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Sydney made the following revealing statement:

" There is a realization that the arrangements in Australia are better than those existing in most if not all other countries. "

Even more revealing is the following statement by Professor Tannock

The kind of State Aid system which has emerged in Australia according to Tannock "by world standards is amazing. 80% of public funding is received with virtually no conditions."

 

Australia should be contrasted with Italy which is 90% Roman Catholic but where up to at least 1998, Roman Catholic schools did not receive State Aid.

Italian taxpayers are fortunate. State Aid to church schools is a bottomless pit.

          GROWTH OF DIRECT FEDERAL FUNDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS

 

Year	Funding to Private Schools
1964-1965	$2.7 million
1995-1996	$1,858.9 million
2003-2004	$4,420.0 million
2005-2006	$5,091.0 million

 

 

These figures are astonishing. If we include an estimate for State Funding, Direct State Aid to private schools in Australia will far exceed $6 billion in 2004-2005. This figure does not include the many indirect sources of government subsidy. Any Government Education Committee worth its salt would be calculating the full bill in direct and indirect subsidies from the taxpayers of Australia.

It should be noted that it has taken 30 years to get to 1.86 Billion dollars in direct federal funding. Whereas it will only take 10 years under the Liberal National Party to add another $3.132 Billion to the Federal State Aid Bill.

This is another reason why the Coalition 2002 Budget should be rejected outright!

 

BY 2003/04 PRIVATE CHURCH INTERESTS WILL GET MORE THAN UNIVERSITIES IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET STAKES

From the 2002/03  Federal Budget Paper No. 1, Table 7, p. 6.18  

Table 7: Summary of Expenses

                     The Above Figures can be Analysed as follows:

Federal Budget 2002/2003 Budget paper 1, Table 7, p. 6.18

Percentage change in Funding 2001-2 - 2005-6 Illustrating Favouritism to Private Church Schools by Coalition