Mr BAYLEY – Minister, I’m keen to keep talking about funding, but shift sideways a little bit to school levies. Specifically a Greens RTI has shown that there’s some clear discrepancy in the way that levies are brought about in schools and by schools. Claremont College, for example, has about half the number of students of Rosny College, but Rosny is bringing in about six times the amount of Claremont in levies. So what I’m really interested in here is whether the government makes any additional payments to schools to balance out some of the discrepancy in levies they receive.
So just to try to unpack that little bit, some schools are in socioeconomic demographics where there are perhaps greater proportions of students who, you know, don’t need to pay the levies because of their status – concession card holders and the like. So there’s this clear discrepancy where there is additional funding going to through the levy program going to schools in areas and disadvantaged areas are losing out in many ways twice I guess you’d say.
Ms PALMER – Yes, thank you very much. I’ll hand over to Kane Salter, who’s the deputy secretary of business operations and support. Thank you very much.
Mr SALTER – Thank you. In terms of providing equity across the schools, the government has the student assistance scheme which provides relief from levies, and schools get funded where that relief is provided. So I think it was back in 2019 or 2020 that the government increased the eligibility status for STAS so that anyone that’s got a healthcare card or equivalent can get access to the scheme. So that’s one way that schools are supplemented for the income they don’t get through levies. The other mechanism, which is part of the fairer funding model, is that based on a school’s SES or needs basis, that does impact the level of funding through their school resource package. Those two elements contribute.
Mr BAYLEY – But essentially, you’re telling me, which is welcome if I’m hearing you correctly, that the levy funding shortfall that a school suffers, I guess, but due to the student assistance scheme, is reimbursed by the state. So that’s really welcome and I appreciate that, but there’s still some differences in the actual amount that each school will levy students. Different schools in different SES areas may levy a lower amount. Is there any mechanism to sort of balance it out across the board or do you just directly reimburse dollar-for-dollar what was foregone via the student assistance scheme?
Mr SALTER – Through the minister, there’s a policy that defines how schools set levies that provide some parameters and they are to do that in conjunction with their school association so there can be some variability in what schools set, based on taking into account their local context. If part of the question is, is the STAS amount related to what the school charges or a set amount, is that –
Mr BAYLEY – Broadly, I think that’s what I’m getting at, yes.
Mr SALTER – I’ll just have to double check that aspect. I can do that and then come back before –
Mr BAYLEY – Before the conclusion of the hearing?
Mr SALTER – Yes.
Mr BAYLEY – Okay, thank you. I’d appreciate that.
Ms PALMER – We will try to get that information for you before our time expires.
Mr BAYLEY – Thank you. We had another example in the RTI. Montello Primary in the state’s north west and Montagu Bay Primary in the state’s south, they’re two primary schools of the same size. Last year, Montagu Bay brought in $77, 000 in levies. Montello brought in $16, 000. Part of that might be because there are more students on student assistance schemes, but part of it is also because that Montagu Bay charges 65 per cent more in levies than Montello. That is what I’m keen for you to clarify, understanding it is that sort of discrepancy you are going to come back and answer?
Mr SALTER – There’s still the two aspects. There is the school within the parameters of the policy and based on their local context can set their fees. That can be a difference in the levies in themselves and, as communicated, we’ll come back on the STAS amount that goes to each school.
Mr BAYLEY – Thank you.
CHAIR – Before we go to Ms Johnston, just noting there’s probably about just under 6 minutes left. There was an endeavour to table something in response to the Greens’ question. I am checking if that was available or if you were taking that on notice.
Mr SALTER – I can answer the status question.
Mr BAYLEY – This is in relation to the levies?
Mr SALTER – Yes. With STAS (Student Assistance Scheme) funding, there’s a component provided to schools that is in the general needs component of the fairer funding model and that allocation is driven by the needs factor of the school, so that would differ with SES of the school. For increases in STAS students that occurred post the eligibility change in status, which started in 2021, schools are provided with funding that is equivalent to the average levy amount that the school charges. The school receives revenue for the increases in students as a result of that criteria change to ensure that their school wasn’t disadvantaged.
Mr BAYLEY – The average level of school or the average level of all schools, guess what we’re trying to understand is the disparity between –
Mr SALTER – The individual school.
Mr BAYLEY – We do still have a situation where some schools who charge less in levies and have less students that are able to pay it are significantly disadvantaged.
Mr SALTER – There is an equity component to the extent that if those schools are comparatively lower SES (socio-economic status), then they would get greater needs-based funding than the other school.
Ms PALMER – Chair, we have an answer to a question that was posed for the Independent member for Braddon from the acting secretary. It’s very short.
Ms BURGESS – That question was about how do businesses know. It is a school responsibility and they must comply with the procedures for planning off campus guidelines which currently aren’t public facing. The information about going to the school principal, talking it through with the school principal so that they can then communicate the parameters around whether that activity does or doesn’t meet the criteria.
Mr BAYLEY – There’s a follow on question from that one that I wanted to put: whether you’d commit to undertaking a review of the model for school levies, including consideration of abolishing levies full stop in exchange for direct departmental funding?
Ms PALMER – I will seek some advice. I’ll ask Mr Salter, our Deputy Secretary of Business and Operations and Support, to answer that question.
Mr SALTER – I think there are two components to the question. Asking whether the minister or government will undertake a review, there was a previous review of the levies policy, and certainly happy by the minister to provide details on that review.
In terms of the second component of the question of abolishing –
Mr BAYLEY – I guess it’s whether you’d look at that again, given the inequity, and consider abolishing the inequity and levies full stop in exchange for direct departmental funding.
Mr SALTER – The second component of the question around abolishing levies altogether – and that’s a government policy decision – but in terms of the example that you’ve highlighted today, I’m certainly happy to look at that example in terms of how the policy is structured at the moment.
