NSW private schools 'overfunded by $850m'

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos says overfunded schools least need the money.The NSW government is overfunding well-off private schools by hundreds of millions of dollars while underfunding the state’s public schools by billions per year, according to a new report.The NSW Teachers Federation-commissioned report estimates the state government will overfund private schools by around $850 million in the five-year period from 2019 to 2023.But independent school representatives say the analysis overlooks the large share of private schools that are still underfunded through the same agreements.The report, compiled by economist Adam Rorris, found 28 private schools had been overfunded by more than $1 million in 2021.The largest amounts went to Barker College, William Clarke College and Oakhill College Castle Hill, which were each overfunded by more than $2 million.Its calculations are based on Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) benchmark, used by state and federal governments to estimate the amounts of taxpayer funding each school should receive to meet their needs.Under a transition agreement introduced in 2019, NSW private schools that were receiving more than the benchmark would have their funding gradually reduced to the standard by 2029.Those receiving less than their entitlement would have their funding brought up to benchmark level…
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