States are failing to meet education funding targets set six years ago. 

The Gonski 2.0 education reforms, introduced by the Turnbull government in 2017, aimed to achieve the School Resourcing Standard (SRS) for all schools, a needs-based model designed to provide a basic level of education to students by 2023. 

For public schools, the target was for states to contribute 75 per cent of the funding, while the federal government was set to contribute 20 per cent. In contrast, private schools were to receive funding above their SRS, gradually transitioning down by 2029.

While the federal government has nearly met its targets, the states have fallen behind, largely due to bilateral agreements struck in 2018 that pushed back the 2023 target for some states. 

Only the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia have reached or exceeded the 2023 target for public school funding, according to a Department of Education Senate estimates brief.

New South Wales recently committed to reaching its target by 2025, two years earlier than the agreed deadline. However, Tasmania is projected to achieve its target by 2027, Victoria by 2028, and Queensland by 2032. 

The most concerning situation exists in the Northern Territory, where no commitment has been made to reach the target.

Correna Haythorpe, the president of the Australian Education Union, expressed concern, saying; “We've had now an entire generation of students who've been to public schools that have not been fully funded to meet their needs”.

The Australian Education Union is urging the federal government to increase its share of public school funding to 25 per cent in the next schools agreement, given its greater revenue-raising power compared to the states. 

However, the union believes that the figure should be even higher for the Northern Territory, given its substantial lag in meeting the needs of its students.

More details are accessible here.