Private schools invited to rort enrolment claims and funding

Commenting on a story on page 2 of today's Sydney Morning Herald, Dr Kaye said: "Private schools that inflate their enrolment figures are rewarded with higher federal and state funding.
 
"While it's a gamble for the principals, the chances of being caught are small enough to justify the grab for windfall cash gains.
 
"This year the Federal government will hand over $1,733 million to NSW private schools in per student payments. The Iemma government will add another $651 million.
 
"Private education in this state will receive almost $2.4 billion on the say so of the schools themselves.
 
"It is impossible to know how much of this is for real students and how much is for phantoms that exist only on paper to boost the private schools' funding.
 
"Auditing just 2% of the schools each year is entirely inadequate.
 
"This would happen in no other area of government funding of private organisations.
 
"NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca is passing the buck to the federal government.
 
"We will be moving in state parliament to insist that the claimed enrolment figures of each private school is audited every year by government-appointed consultants at the school's expense," Dr Kaye said.
 
Note: Private schools submit an annual statutory declaration certifying their student numbers. State and federal governments then provide funding for each student. Only one in fifty schools is audited each year.
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455