10 March 2017

New research revealing just five per cent of students in selective state schools come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds raises issues of equity, Catholic Education Melbourne Executive Director Stephen Elder says.

‘The University of Technology Sydney research echoes concerns we expressed in our submission to the Bracks Review of education funding back in 2015,’ Mr Elder said.

‘Selective state school students receive an exclusive education entirely at taxpayers’ expense,’ Mr Elder said.

‘Similar students who attend non-government schools receive less than half the amount of public funding.’

Mr Elder said the benefits of selective state schools had been over-sold.

‘Students who attend such schools do not achieve better education outcomes than they otherwise would.

‘Instead, their attendance at these elite institutions deprives the schools they would otherwise attend of positive influencers and lowers levels of academic achievement.

‘Students in other public schools also suffer because the huge subsidies going to selective entry schools means there is less funding available for the schools that really need it.

‘It is not good public policy to implement segregation based on aptitude and require all taxpayers to foot the bill.

‘Instead, recent research suggests that we need schools that produce well-rounded students and are less segregated, backed by funding that is better targeted to needs.

‘The new University of Technology Sydney research on the makeup of selective schools shows they fail this test.’

For further information contact Christian Kerr, Media Adviser on 0402 977 352 or 9267 4411