Moncrieff Media
Funding for Gold Coast schools at risk
09 May 2011
More than $4.5 million in funding will be slashed from 14 Gold Coast schools if current funding arrangements are abolished, warns local MP Steven Ciobo.
For the first time the member for Moncrieff can reveal how much schools on the Gillard Government’s hit list stand to lose (see table on page 2).
Some schools will lose more than half a million dollars a year with the average funding cut $429.42 per student
Mr Ciobo said the schools on the Gillard Government’s hit list are known as ‘funding maintained’ schools because the Howard Government did not want any school to lose funding when the new school funding model was introduced in 2001.
“Unfortunately, Schools Minister, Peter Garrett has confirmed that these ‘funding maintained’ schools will very likely be worse off when the funding review is completed,” he said.
“That means schools will be left with little options but to increase fees.
“The increase in school fees is going to hit families hard as they’re already struggling with increasing cost of living pressures.
“Now they’re going to have to find an extra few hundred dollars to keep their children in school.
“Unfortunately a lot of families won’t be able to afford the increases and will have to withdraw their children from their chosen school and enroll them in a state school – putting more pressure on the already strained public system.”
Mr Ciobo said the cuts to school funding were a consequence of Labor’s reckless spending.
“After racking up record debt and blowing billions of dollars on failed programs such as pink batts, cash for clunkers, grocery watch, and the school hall rip-offs, Labor simply has no money left so they’re going to slug families.”
Cuts facing non-government Gold Coast schools
| School name | Cuts per student PA |
|---|---|
| Jubilee Primary School | $335.34 |
| St Francis Xavier's School | $453.34 |
| All Saints Anglican School | $473.44 |
| Marymount College | $420.87 |
| Marymount Primary School | $226.34 |
| Queensland Independent College | $226.25 |
| St Augustine's Parish Primary School | $108.34 |
| St Vincent's School | $679.34 |
| Aquinas College | $568.87 |
| Emmanul College | $249.22 |
| Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School | $453.34 |
| St Kevin's School | $679.34 |
| St Michael's College | $568.87 |
| Tambourine Mountain College | $568.97 |
Figures collated from published and public information on the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and My School websites.