Victoria's non-government schools would face a stark choice under a proposed education overhaul: abolish fees and entrance exams in exchange for full public funding, or keep selecting fee-paying students and lose all government money. The plan, developed by teacher and author Tom Greenwell and former principal Chris Bonnor, is designed to prevent social segregation and is adapted from the Canadian province of Ontario.
The proposal, detailed in the report Choice and Fairness, would require non-government schools that receive public money to accept all students within their geographical zone, fee-free. Schools could continue operating independently of the Department of Education and religious schools would remain free to teach faith-based education. Those that kept charging fees or rejected inclusive enrolment obligations would receive no public funding.
Greenwell, author of Waiting For Gonski, said the current system allowed private schools to pluck the brightest students from classrooms with little accountability for delivering quality.
"Overhauling our system to create fully publicly funded, fee-free local schools in all sectors will produce fairer educational outcomes, stronger communities, and a more liveable and sustainable city," Greenwell said.
Under the plan, non-government schools that agreed to no fees and no selectivity would receive full public funding to meet recurrent and capital costs on the same needs-basis as government schools. The report draws on the Canadian system, where each province runs its own school system and the national government plays no part in education, producing contrasting schooling systems across provinces.
The article, published as part of Nine's Melbourne Assembly series, links the proposal to housing and liveability, arguing that fairer, fee-free local schools would build stronger communities across the city.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The proposal would force a once-in-a-generation choice on Victoria's non-government schools, touching every family with school-age children and the allocation of significant public money
- It explicitly links education equity to housing and liveability, arguing that fee-free local schools would create stronger communities and a more sustainable city
- If the report gains traction, the Ontario-style model could influence education funding debates well beyond Victoria
Background
Australia runs a mixed school system in which government, Catholic and independent schools all receive public funding, with non-government schools charging fees on top of that support. The report's authors want to replace these arrangements with a model inspired by Canada, where provinces run their own school systems and the national government has no role in education, resulting in contrasting arrangements between provinces.
Key Perspectives
Tom Greenwell and Chris Bonnor: They argue the current system lets private schools select the brightest students with little accountability for delivering quality, and that fully funded, fee-free local schools would produce fairer outcomes and stronger communities.
Non-government schools: The proposal presents an either-or choice: give up fees and selectivity in return for full public funding, or retain independence and lose government money. Schools would keep operational autonomy and religious education under the first option.
Skeptics: Families who value school choice may resist fee-free zoning, fully funding every school would carry major budget costs, and the transition from the current funding model would be disruptive.
What to Watch
- Whether the Victorian government or opposition engages with the report's proposals
- Statements from Catholic and independent school associations on the funding ultimatum
- Whether the housing affordability argument gains traction in the broader education funding debate