Dr NELSON (Minister for Education, Science and Training) (6:30 PM) —The government has increased its funding to schools in the budget by 8.3 per cent taking it to, I think, $6.9 billion. The increase to the state government school sector is 5½ per cent and there is a 9.9 per cent increase to the non-government school sector. The reason for that, of course, is that the Commonwealth, unlike the states, is indexing its money according to the average government school recurrent cost index.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. I.R. Causley)—Order! Is the member seeking to ask a question?

Ms Macklin —Yes.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER —Will the minister accept the question?

Dr NELSON —Sure.

Ms Macklin —Minister, what is the percentage increase to the elite private schools—the old category 1 private schools?

Dr NELSON —The indexation, as I was saying, is based on the average government school recurrent cost index, and the underresourcing of government schools is primarily a result of underresourcing at a state and territory level. The increase in funding to non-government schools, whether they are servicing the poorer socioeconomic status suburbs in the country or whether they are servicing the most affluent, is based on the number of students that are in the school and also the percentage of average government school recurrent costs that the students from families in those suburbs attending those schools would attract. The level of funding—which was, as I understand it, supported by Australian Labor Party when this legislation was passed, and is the model used by the Tasmanian government to distribute funding to non-government schools—was calculated and put into the states grants act when it was enacted. So the level of funding that is going to these schools is a product of a formula which is well understood.

Ms Macklin —What is the percentage increase?

Dr NELSON —I will take on notice the percentage increase for those particular schools.