Fed: Christian schools to ask for more money at inquiry

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2006
Fed: Christian schools to ask for more money at inquiry

SYDNEY, Aug 10 AAP - Low-fee Christian schools will use a closed-door Commonwealth
inquiry next week to ask the federal government for more funding.

The hearing, being held to determine how up to $28 billion will be spent on private
schools over the next four years, has been criticised by public education advocates, Fairfax
newspapers reported today.

Christian Schools Australia will ask the government for extra money at the inquiry,
arguing that it is needed to keep fees affordable for low-income families, while also
keeping up with inflation and teacher salary increases.

But chief executive Stephen O'Doherty said the advocates were not expecting much support
from the majority of MPs for their request.

"If they had their way, working-class families would not be able to have the same choice
as families in higher income brackets," he was quoted as saying.

"This is not a review about whether there should be public funding for private schools.

That argument was over 40 years ago."

NSW Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt said the federal government's model unfairly
favoured some schools, the papers said.

AAP af/goc/

KEYWORD: CHRISTIAN

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