Public schools in Australia often have significantly less money to spend on students, staff, facilities, and the community than private schools, often under half the money per student enrolled, however schools such as Brisbane Grammar School receive over 8 million dollars in federal funding (as of 2024, per myschool at: https://myschool.edu.au/school/48033/finances ), whereas Ferny Grove State High School receives millions less (https://myschool.edu.au/school/47527/finances ), which is also less money per student enrolled. 

Recently, a lack of available funds has caused the school to have to cut music program privileges such as the music camp, which had to be relocated to the school hall rather than their previous, external locations. Additionally, with rising cost of living and union demands, the teacher salary demands more funding, and schools should not have to choose between funding their students, paying teachers, creating and maintaining facilities, and the school community. 

As someone who has attended public school, and worked in a private school, I can attest that private schools are not the ones requiring taxpayer funding, and instead this should be used on the many students who are enrolled in our public schools. Working in a private school has shown me the vast inequality in our system, and how it must be eliminated if we wish to have a properly educated youth, and access to facilities that encourage physical and mental development, and allow everyone to succeed equally. 

To further add to the inequality, the majority of attendees to private secondary schools are in the top quarter of Australians measured by Socio-Educational Advantage, where Brisbane grammar School has 83% in the top quarter, whereas Ferny Grove only has 29% in the top quarter, 49% in the middle two quarters, and 13% in the bottom quarter. (https://myschool.edu.au/school/48033 )

Private schools do not need to lose funding, all they need to do is be reined in, and prevented from exploiting parents, who already pay ridiculous costs. The government does not consider investments or assets when calculating the funding for a private school, but the private schools benefit from it. If the government can implement policy and real budget outcomes that prevent private schools from charging parents to fund their 11 ovals, and actually help public schools, the youth could be so much better off.

This is unfair, and unjust, and so federal funding must be re-allocated to better support teachers, students, and schools that host the majority of our schoolkids, to improve the equality and education of the youth, and advance Australia and society at large as we know very well how to do.