Scotch College

From the Principal

Government funding - the full picture

Much to our surprise, and thanks to the Australian Education Union, scenes of Scotch's campus are being nationally broadcast in a television advertisement. Our facilities are shown beside those of a High School in the relevant State, along with a statement that Scotch receives more Federal Government funding than the State School.

This information is incomplete, however, and serves as an indicator that the funding of schools will feature in the next federal election campaign.

In fact, schools are funded by both State and Federal Governments. Federal Government figures show that the total public funding of State Government Schools, with 2.25 million students, was $19.9 billion for 2003/4, and for non-Government Schools with 1.04 million students, $6.2 billion. Scotch will receive about $3.4 million while a similarly sized state school will receive over $19 million.

Scotch does enjoy a magnificent campus resulting from over ninety years of investment by the wider Scotch community. We do not apologise for that investment, or for our persisting quest for further improvements. Educating our youth for their futures is far too important to ever assume that no more progress is needed and Scotch is determined not to fall into the trap of complacency regarding current conditions or programs. It is important to realize, however, that no Government money (State or Federal) goes towards any buildings or capital development at Scotch. Each year Scotch receives from the Commonwealth Government an amount calculated per student as a percentage (in 2003 18-19%) of the average recurrent cost (teachers' salaries etc) of educating a student in a government school. The State Government provides additional funding of a much smaller amount, also on a per student basis.

Scotch treats the whole of the money received from Commonwealth and State sources as a direct benefit to fee paying parents. Accordingly, the amounts received per student are credited on each fee account with the parents required to pay the balance remaining.

The only exception is overseas students in respect of whom no government money is received. Consequently, those parents do not receive any credit on their fee accounts.

Any change in the level of per student funding received from the Commonwealth and State Governments will alter directly the amount of credit given to parents. It will not affect the income of the School.

It is right and proper that each parent should receive some Government assistance towards the costs of educating their children. Our present system of funding penalises parents who choose schools like Scotch, with our fine facilities and a community committed to their further development. The same parents would receive higher funding for their children if they chose different schools.

There is ample evidence of substantial success across Scotch today, demonstrating in a powerful way the effectiveness of our approach to educating boys. Elsewhere in Great Scot, Mr Cracknell details the magnificent results achieved by the Class of 2003. Praise is due throughout the group, from our highest achievers with the maximum possible ENTER to the many boys who persevered and battled to achieve scores that may have been at our lower end but were a great credit to the boys and their teachers. Our policy of requiring boys to be involved in a busy program of studies, sports, services and other co-curricular activities, has again demonstrated its power in encouraging fulsome, all-round development with magnificent academic results.

This formula has characterized Scotch for generations. Our facilities enable talented teachers to encourage boys to work hard in preparation for their adult lives. Perhaps we can be encouraged by the recognition given to Scotch by the AEU! Whatever transpires in the inevitable debate surrounding school funding, Scotch will maintain its focus on providing the best educational opportunity we can manage, certain of the encouragement of our supportive Scotch community.

Dr F.G. Donaldson AM,

Principal