❓ A parliamentary question addresses funding for non-government schools, specifically questioning a perceived cap on funding despite increased enrollment and seeking clarification on per capita funding for students with disabilities in both government and non-government schools.
AnsweredQoN 148Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS - FUNDING
(1) Why does recurrent funding for non-government schools appear to have been capped at 7.8 per cent of recurrent spending on schools, despite an increase in their enrolment share from 29 per cent to 32 per cent in the past five years? (2) What is the current per capita funding for children with disabilities in - (a) non-government schools; and (b) government schools? (3) If there is a discrepancy between the funding in (2)(a) and (2)(b), why? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
(1) Why does recurrent funding for non-government schools appear to have been capped at 7.8 per cent of recurrent spending on schools, despite an increase in their enrolment share from 29 per cent to 32 per cent in the past five years? (2) What is the current per capita funding for children with disabilities in - (a) non-government schools; and (b) government schools? (3) If there is a discrepancy between the funding in (2)(a) and (2)(b), why? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(2) What is the current per capita funding for children with disabilities in - (a) non-government schools; and (b) government schools? (3) If there is a discrepancy between the funding in (2)(a) and (2)(b), why? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(b) government schools?
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(2) What is the current per capita funding for children with disabilities in - (a) non-government schools; and (b) government schools? (3) If there is a discrepancy between the funding in (2)(a) and (2)(b), why? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(b) government schools?
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(1) Funding is not capped. Total recurrent funding is set by the increase in enrolments and by the allocations of direct per capita grants and indirect grants and subsidies. Per capita grants are annually indexed by a formula derived for the Western Australian average government school recurrent cost. Total recurrent funding in 2007 equates to 25.8 per cent of the most recent WAGSRC. (2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
(2) (a) Per capita funding varies with the funding category base rate for the school students attend, their level of schooling and a loading factor for their assessed level of disability. As there are 81 possible variations, the information can be provided to the member in written form if required. (b) Apart from students in designated education support schools and centres, there is no special methodology for estimating the per capita cost for students with disabilities in mainstream schools. There is also a definitional problem when looking at students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, as the states and territories currently categorise and account for these students in different ways. (3) The funding rationale for both sectors differs.
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