Senator Nettle asked the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 23 March 2004:

(1) For each of the years 1996 to 2004, and for each state and territory, how many children were or will be enrolled in: (a) public schools; (b) independent schools (i.e. schools other than Catholic systemic schools); and (c) Catholic systemic schools.

(2) For each of the years 2001 to 2004, what was the Average Government School Recurrent Cost (AGSRC).

(3) With reference to the table, General Recurrent Funding Increases in the Minister s media release Learning together: Achievement through choice and opportunity (dated 11 March 2004, Min 639/04): (a) what projections were used for each of the years 2005 to 2008 for the numbers of children who will be enrolled in: (i) public schools, (ii) independent schools (i.e. schools other than Catholic systemic schools), and (iii) Catholic systemic schools; and (b) can these figures be provided for each state and territory.

(4) With reference to the table mentioned in (3), what are the related effects and how much does each effect contribute to the increases in funding for the period 2005 to 2008 over that provided in the period 2001 to 2004 in relation to: (a) public schools; (b) independent schools (i.e. schools other than Catholic systemic schools); and (c) Catholic systemic schools.

(5) Can a table be provided indicating the following data for each independent school in Australia:

(a) the school number;

(b) the name of the school;

(c) the postcode of the school;

(d) the state in which the school operates;

(e) the school s educational resource index (ERI) category, if available;

(f) the actual socio-economic status (SES) score;

(g) the funding SES score (i.e. the SES score at which the school is funded, which might be a previous, higher score);

(h) the percentage of AGSRC;

(i) the funding basis (funding maintained, SES or funding guaranteed, i.e. funded at a previous higher SES score);

(j) the number of primary students in 2002 and 2003;

(k) the actual or projected number of primary students in 2004;

(l) the projected number of primary students 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008;

(m) the number of secondary students in 2002 and 2003;

(n) the actual or projected number of secondary students in 2004;

(o) the projected number of secondary students 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008;

(p) the primary per capita funding for 2003;

(q) the actual or projected primary per capita funding for 2004;

(r) the projected primary per capita funding for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008;

(s) the secondary per capita funding for 2003;

(t) the actual or projected secondary per capita funding for 2004; and

(u) the projected secondary per capita funding for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

(6) Can a table also be provided of the same data as in (5) for all Catholic systemic schools in Australia.

(7) For each independent school in Australia, the funding for which is maintained or which is not to be funded at its new SES level, can a table be provided with the following data:

(a) the school number;

(b) the name of the school;

(c) the postcode of the school;

(d) the state in which the school operates;

(e) the school s ERI category, if available;

(f) the school s year 2001 SES score;

(g) the school s new SES score;

(h) the school s actual per capita funding in 2001; and

(i) the school s actual per capita funding in 2002.

Senator Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation) —The Minister for Education, Science and Training has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Table available from the Senate Table Office

(2) The following table provides the AGSRC amounts and AGSRC Index for 2001 to 2003. The 2004 AGSRC amounts and AGSRC Index will not be available until later in 2004.

(3) (a) The following table shows enrolment projections used in relation to the figures in the `General Recurrent Funding Increases' table in the Minister's release no. Min 639/04 of 11 March. The enrolment data are current as at the 2003-04 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook and will be updated in the 2004-05 Budget.

Enrolment projections as at the 2003-04 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook

(3) (b) Enrolment projections by State/Territory were not applied in the calculation of the table referred to.

(4) The term “enrolment and related effects” refers to the key drivers of the increase in total funding in the 2005-08 quadrennium over the current quadrennium that are not due to Government policy changes or indexation applying to the upcoming quadrennium. These drivers are:

(1) overall enrolment growth.

(2) The mix of enrolment growth. Students attending lower SES schools attract a higher level of funding than students attending high SES schools.

(3) The composition of enrolment growth in primary versus secondary schools. Secondary school students attract a higher rate of funding.

(4) The phase-in-over 2001-04 of increases in general recurrent funding as a result of the move to the SES funding model for non-government schools in 2001.

(4) (a-c) Each of these drivers impacts on the others and cannot be neatly separated. The aggregate impact is outlined in the press release no. Min 639/04

(5) Table available from the Senate Table Office.

(6) Table available from the Senate Table Office.

(7) Table available from the Senate Table Office.