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Independent Schooling in Australia

Independent Schooling in Australia. AHISA New Members Conference 19 May 2006. The Role of ISCA and the AISs. Independent Schools Council of Australia. Located in Deakin, ACT Membership: 8 state and territory AISs; schools are members of the AISs Maintains only a small secretariat:

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Independent Schooling in Australia

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  1. Independent Schooling in Australia AHISA New Members Conference 19 May 2006

  2. The Role of ISCA and the AISs

  3. Independent Schools Council of Australia • Located in Deakin, ACT • Membership: 8 state and territory AISs; schools are members of the AISs • Maintains only a small secretariat: 4 full-time staff; 5 part-time • National peak body for independent schools

  4. ISCA: National Peak Body • Canvasses sector-wide views through EDCO, the ISCA Board and ISCA National Consultative Group • Represents the interests of the sector on national policy making bodies such as the MCEETYA taskforces, The Le@rning Federation, NIQTSL • Primary contact for the sector with the Australian Government and federal parliamentarians • Representation on 113 national taskforces and committees maintained with the support of AISs

  5. Associations of Independent Schools • Represent the interests of independent schools on a state/territory basis • AISs are ‘governed’ by their member schools through a committee structure • Membership of an AIS is voluntary and fee-based • AISs in each state and territory differ in their structure • AISs are service providers with the range of services varying to meet the needs of member schools

  6. AIS Activities Two main types of service provision: • Member focused activities • Contracted activities • AGTP (Australian Government Targeted Programmes) • Block Grant Authority

  7. Member Services • Representation to government • Support to schools • Governance • Industrial • Legal advice (usually contracted out) • Curriculum support • Consultancies on topics of current importance eg HR, planning, marketing • Representation on working groups, committees, advisory boards, boards of statutory authorities

  8. Independent Sector Profile

  9. The Historical Context

  10. Australia’s Dual System of Schooling • GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS • Owned/operated by state and territory governments • Free • Secular • NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS • Catholic systemic schools • Independent schools • Fee-charging • Most have a religious affiliation • Not-for-profit

  11. Australian School Enrolments 2005 SchoolsStudents Enrolment share TOTAL SECONDARY SENIOR SEC Independent* 996 429,070 12.8% 16.7% 18.4% Catholic 1,698 672,982 20.1% 21.5% 21.7% Government 6,929 2,246,087 67.1% 61.8% 59.9% TOTAL 9,623 3,348,139 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% SOURCE: ABS Schools Australia 2005 *Including independent Catholic schools: 1069 schools educating 479,903 students

  12. Secondary Enrolment Share by Capital City 2001 SOURCE: ABS Census 2001

  13. Enrolment Change by Sector 1970-2005

  14. 1996 Enrolment Growth by School Sector 1991-2005

  15. Independent Schools Number of schools 2005 Location of schools

  16. Sector Diversity

  17. School Size and Enrolment Growth

  18. Student to Teacher Ratios 1973 - 2005

  19. Overseas Students in Australian Schools 2005 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN SOURCE: Australian Education International

  20. Independent Sector Resourcing

  21. Schools Recurrent Funding 2003-04

  22. Average Total Government Expenditure Per Student SOURCE: Productivity Commission Report on Government Services 2006 and DEST Financial Questionnaire Data 2003 and 2004 (latest available data)

  23. Independent Sector Income State governments 11% Parents 59% THE FUNDING PARTNERSHIP Federal government 30%

  24. Australian Government Funding • Recurrent funding • General recurrent funding (allocated under SES model) • Targeted and specific purpose funding • To meet student need (eg indigenous students; students with disabilities) • To achieve specific goals (eg literacy and numeracy; quality teaching) • Establishment grants for new schools • Capital funding

  25. The SES System Final 2005 AGSRC Primary $6787; secondary $8994 SES score 85 Primary $4751; secondary $6296 SES score 130 Primary $930; secondary $1233

  26. SES Funding – Per Student Dollar Amounts

  27. Targeted Programmes 2004 SOURCE: DEST Quadrennial Administrative Guidelines 2004

  28. Capital Funding 2002 Per Student Averages SOURCE: DEST Financial Assistance Granted to each State in respect of 2002 under States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) ACT 2000

  29. Capital Funding Distribution

  30. Current Issues • Funding • Regulation • Policy and Politics

  31. Current Federal Funding Issues • Stability of government funding arrangements • Funding maintenance and funding guarantee • SES appeals mechanism • Indexation • Adequate resourcing of students with disabilities • Affordable access to information and communication technologies

  32. Funding Stability • Continuation of SES model to 2009-2012 • Review of SES model in 2006 • Funding maintenance • Funding guarantee • Recalibration of SES scores • Indexation

  33. Funding Maintenance • 1610 Catholic systemic schools • 60% funding maintained • 40% on SES score • 1050 independent schools • 20% funding maintained • 25% funding guarantee • 55% on SES score

  34. Students With Disabilities • Education standards for Disability Discrimination Act have been legislated • Increasing enrolment of students with disabilities in mainstream independent schools, especially students with high level needs • Level of government funding and access to services for students with disabilities in independent schools varies widely from state to state • Australian Government prepared to look at a voucher arrangement

  35. Information and Communication Technologies • Capital cost of keeping pace with technological change • Access to reliable, affordable broadband networks • Online curriculum materials developed by • The Le@rning Federation • Access to in-time technological support • Lack of expertise in an ageing teacher workforce

  36. New Australian Government Requirements • Data collection on student characteristics • Participation in common national testing and benchmarking tests • 100% student achievement of national standards • Commitment to National Safe Schools Framework, • National Values Framework • 2 hours physical activity per week • Principals’ autonomy to hire and fire • Public reporting of school performance measures • ‘Plain English’ reporting to parents ISCA’s checklist is online at www.isca.edu.au

  37. Responding to the Demand for Accountability Available online at www.nais.org

  38. Accountability • Educational accountability • School registration process • Credentialing for certification and examinations • Benchmark testing Yrs 3, 5, 7, 9 • Publishing of school performance measures • Financial accountability • Contracted government funding requirements • Financial Questionnaire • Audited annual financial statements • Social accountability • Commitment to National Goals for Schooling • Corporations law • Federal/state/local regulations re employment, • child protection, privacy, building codes etc • Disability Discrimination Act • Data collection on student background characteristics • Not-for-profit status

  39. Autonomy of Australian Independent Schools • Pick and choose students • Hire and fire staff • Hire staff who support the school’s ethos • Materially reward staff who perform well • Attract quality staff with higher salaries or attractive conditions • Determine how the curriculum is taught • Offer co-curricular programs of own choice • Set tuition fees

  40. Overseas Students • Increased interest from government agencies • Regulation linked to visa compliance • National Code for providers • Decline in student numbers in most states and territories • DEST/AEI developing schools sector marketing strategy

  41. The Australian Government, the States and Schools • $700 literacy tuition vouchers direct to parents • Australian Technical Colleges • Direct capital grants to government schools • Right to hire and fire for government school • principals a condition of funding to the States • Common school starting age • Australian Certificate of Education • National testing • National student data collection • Increasing federal regulation

  42. MCEETYA Taskforces • Nationally consistent testing • National curriculum frameworks • Common school starting age and nomenclature • Australian Certificate of Education Nationalisation of Australian Education

  43. Projected Enrolment Growth to 2010

  44. Looking Ahead • Increased competition • Parents need funding support • Some stability in government funding arrangements • Changed funding arrangements under a federal Labor government • Trend towards conformity • Cost increases associated with administration of new regulatory requirements • Inroads on autonomy • The importance of sector unity

  45. Timeline 2006 • Broad direction of 2009-2012 quadrennium settled as part of 2007 Budget preparation • Review of the SES funding model 2007 • Federal election

  46. Supporting Choice, Diversity and Partnership in Education

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