The Australian Education Union Victorian Branch (AEU) is set to raise concerns about public school funding in the state during a public hearing of the Victorian Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee today, 12 March.
AEU Victorian Branch President Mr Justin Mullaly is scheduled to give evidence to the committee as part of its inquiry into funding for government schools in Victoria.
The union argues that Victorian public schools remain the lowest funded in the country and says the state government has not committed to reaching the full level of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). The SRS is the minimum benchmark for school funding agreed to by Australian governments.
According to the AEU, more than 655,000 students attend public schools in Victoria.
Mr Mullaly said the union believes the current funding arrangements mean Victorian public schools remain below the SRS target.
“The Victorian government has not delivered the level of funding required to reach the Schooling Resource Standard,” he said.
“This also means additional Commonwealth funding, which is linked to the state increasing its share of the SRS, does not flow.”
The funding issue follows an announcement in January 2025 by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan that the state had reached an agreement with the Australian Government to deliver what was described as “full and fair funding” for Victorian public schools.
However, the AEU says subsequent details of the agreement indicated that funding levels would remain unchanged from 2023, rather than increasing to meet the SRS target.
The union also points to reports that changes to the agreement could result in $2.4 billion less funding for public schools than previously expected.
Under the SRS model, funding for public schools is shared between the Commonwealth and state governments. Additional federal contributions are dependent on states increasing their own share to meet the agreed benchmark.
The SRS was introduced in 2011 as a national framework for determining the minimum level of funding required to support students’ educational needs.
According to the AEU, Victorian public schools have not yet reached 100 per cent of the SRS funding level since the benchmark was established.
Mr Mullaly said schools are currently managing increasing student learning and wellbeing needs while also dealing with ongoing staff shortages.
“Victoria’s public school students should have access to the resources and supports that come with full funding,” he said.
The parliamentary inquiry is examining funding arrangements for Victoria’s public school system and hearing evidence from stakeholders including education organisations, unions and sector representatives.
Mr Mullaly is scheduled to appear before the committee at 10:15am on Thursday. The hearing can be viewed through the Victorian Parliament website.
