The ACT has joined calls for the federal government to lift its share of funding for public schools but the next funding deal will likely come with strings attached.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry has joined her counterparts in Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania in calling on federal Education Minister Jason Clare to lift Commonwealth funding to 25 per cent of the schooling resource standard.
"The ACT government appreciates the collaborative intent of the federal Government in offering to lift its contribution to 22.5 per cent of the [schooling resource standard]," an ACT government spokesman said.
"The ACT has joined other jurisdictions in asking the Commonwealth to increase their contribution to 25 per cent of the [schooling resource standard] for public schools."
It comes as Western Australia this week signed an agreement which meant the Commonwealth government would raise its contribution to 22.5 per cent of the school resourcing standard by 2026, injecting $777.4 million into the state's education system between 2025 and 2029.
Up until now, states have agreed to pay 80 per cent of the costs of running public schools and the federal government has paid 20 per cent, but in reality all jurisdictions except the ACT fall short of the funding standards.
The ACT government spokesman said all ACT schools were genuinely funded at or above 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard as it did not apply the loophole that enabled 4 per cent of costs not directly related to education to be applied in calculating funding.
"The ACT government will not reduce its share of [schooling resource standard] funding for public schools," the spokesman said.
"Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Yvette Berry looks forward to discussing this important issue with Minister Clare and other education ministers later this month."
The new agreement is likely to impose evidence-based reforms on the ACT education system.
Mr Clare said the federal government was committed to working with all states and territories to get schools on the path to being fully funded.
"Building a better and fairer education system means tying funding to the sorts of things that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school, like phonic checks and catch-up tutoring," Mr Clare said.
"The Commonwealth Government is negotiating a new National School Reform Agreement and associated bilateral agreements with all jurisdictions, including the ACT. This will tie funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school."
Separately, the ACT is conducting an independent inquiry into literacy and numeracy run by an expert panel after learning equity gaps significantly widened.
