May 8 2017 - 3:32PM

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Australian Association of Christian Schools welcomes Gonski 2.0 funding cut

Emily Baker
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A body representing Emmaus Christian School has welcomed the new schools funding model as good policy despite facing a "not insubstantial cut".

Two member schools of the Australian Association of Christian Schools - Emmaus in Dickson and Sydney's Covenant Christian School - will have their funding slashed under the policy announced by federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham last week.

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The Gonski sell

Malcolm Turnbull and his education minister are on a schools funding publicity campaign, trying to sell their new plan, but not everyone is buying it.

Dubbed Gonski 2.0, the policy will scrap 27 different deals made by the former government and transition schools to needs-based funding within a decade rather than waiting up to 150 years.

In the ACT, this will mean an increase in funding for public schools, while Catholic systemic schools face a funding freeze and some independent schools a cut.

Australian Association of Christian Schools executive officer Martin Hanscamp has written to Senator Birmingham "to stand and applaud what we see [as] good policy action".

"Whilst we'll take up the minister on his offer of discussing adjustment arrangements for our two schools, we're not seeking 'special deals' or mechanisms that will make the model a farce," he wrote.

"We'll work with these two schools to help them through this difficult patch. And this is from schools where they are 'stand alone' independents and where no system office can rescue them by re-allocating across schools.

"Rather than join the line of critics, from those affected, who have responded from their self-interest perspective, we'd like to loudly applaud a policy approach that is good for all schools and sectors and, as has been said, provides an the opportunity to put an end to the ridiculous school funding wars."

The policy has also been welcomed by the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association, representing public schools, but protested by the Australian Education Union.

The Catholic sector has this week ramped up its fight. The Catholic Education Office Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn published a list of projected fee increases on Monday - figures disputed by Senator Birmingham - and on the same day will hold a public meeting with opposition leader Bill Shorten listed among expected attendees.

Independent schools are still working through the implications of the policy, with nine of those in the ACT currently funded above the school resourcing standard. Radford College and Daramalan College have acknowledged the announcement would likely lead to a decrease in funding for their schools.

Correction: An earlier version of this article Australian Association of Christian Schools ran Emmaus Christian School. The association is a peak body of which the school is a member.