Targeted Investment Transforms the Prospects of Disadvantaged Students

Benowa State School is a government school on the Gold Coast and Principal Michael Josey says, “diversity is mapped across the globe, from Cook Islanders, Italian, Portuguese, Middle Eastern, Asian and Scandinavian. In our last count over 40 different languages other than English were spoken at home as the family’s first language. The school community includes families who have been in the area for many generations, as well as many newcomers from across the globe.”

Yet despite being from language backgrounds other than English, Benowa students far outperformed most Australian schools in successive NAPLAN scores of reading, writing, spelling, and grammar - demonstrating that support places these groups at far less risk.

Benowa’s school leadership has invested its SRS funding in supporting curriculum and pedagogy differentiation and allocations of time for professional collaboration and inquiry when teachers come together to discuss student data with leaders at individual and cohort levels. In Benowa’s School Opinion Survey, more than 96 per cent of parents agree “Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn”, “Teachers at this school treat students fairly”, and “I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns”. Moreover, more than 90 percent of students agree “I feel safe at my school”, “my teachers motivate me to learn”, and “my teachers provide me with useful feedback about my school work.”

This is only possible in a school with great leadership, a great teaching team and adequate resourcing. The school also demonstrates the recursive benefits to communities, remaining, as the Principal notes, “deeply rooted in the many ongoing generations that proudly return to this school for a continuing partnership in quality education that they so fondly remember”.

Needs-based funding is effective, and that evidence from Queensland's schools shows targeted investment transforms the prospects of students from disadvantaged communities, leading to higher academic achievement, increased attendance, and broader social benefits.

There is an urgent need for increased investment in public education, with a particular focus on equitable, needs-based funding as the key to reversing Queensland’s declining education outcomes.

The McKell Institute Queensland’s Bridging the Gap report outlines how needs-based funding and equitable policy in Queensland schools can address the diverse needs of students from various cultural, socio-economic, and geographical backgrounds.

To enhance the quality of education in Queensland, the report recommends the Commonwealth increase its share of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to a minimum of 25 per cent for government schools. Raising the Commonwealth’s contribution would alleviate the financial burden on the state, helping to close funding gaps and ensure that every student has access to the necessary resources for a high-quality education.

A bilateral agreement guaranteeing full SRS funding would address disparities in educational outcomes, ensuring that all government schools are adequately resourced to support their students, regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location.

The report also recommends that schools should be given more control over how to spend their resources.

“There is a widening gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, which is leading to the concentration of social disadvantage,” Executive Director of McKell Institute Queensland Sarah Mawhinney said.

“The growing disparity in educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students is something we can no longer afford to ignore.

“The good news is that while education is in crisis, it is repairable. Growing disadvantage and declining student outcomes are simply the consequence of how schools are resourced.

“The report shows clear evidence that needs-based funding is not just an investment in schools, but an investment in the future of education. By directing resources where they are needed most, we can bridge the educational gap and ensure every student has the chance to succeed, no matter their background or education.

“Excellence in education is within reach. In a country as privileged as Australia, it is unacceptable that so many students are left behind. This report shows that the right funding can create a fairer, more inclusive education system where every student can thrive."