The $400 bonus announced as part of the recent Victorian State Budget will be automatically applied to every single Victorian Government school student, yet strictly means tested for students attending low-fee Catholic and independent schools.
“This means that whilst every high-income family with a child attending a government school will receive this bonus – including Victorian Government Ministers – many low-income families attending non-government schools will miss out entirely,” Mr Tilley said.
“At some low-fee Catholic schools, more than fifty per cent of students come from disadvantaged families, yet under current arrangements, only a small percentage of students will be eligible for the School Saving Bonus.”
“If the Allan Labor Government wants to offer cost-of-living assistance to families, they should do so in an equitable way,” he said.
“We’re all struggling with the cost of living, whether your kids are going to St Mary’s, St Joseph’s at Chiltern or Rutherglen High it shouldn’t matter.
“Just because you send your children to these schools doesn’t mean there’s some sort of bubble around you that protects you from gas and electricity bills, the cost of groceries or petrol prices.
“With commonsense changes, this bonus could provide better value for taxpayers and greater cost-of-living relief for those most in need.”
Executive Director of Catholic Education Sandhurst Ms Kate Fogarty, said the majority of Catholic School families will miss out on this much-needed support across 56 schools in the Sandhurst Diocese, which educate 20,000 (1 in 5) students.
“Our families also face cost-of-living pressures, however, only those who hold healthcare cards (approximately 13%) are eligible for the program,” Ms Fogarty said.
“Like government schools, the majority of our Catholic School families fall within the low and middle-income brackets. Despite being taxpayers, they have been excluded from this initiative.”
Sacred Heart College Yarrawonga Principal Lew Nagle said he was very disappointed with the Premier’s decision.
“Our data illustrates that only 12% of our families will benefit from the state government’s initiative, which is not means tested,” Mr Nagle said.
“Clearly, the need for relief from cost of living pressures extends beyond 12% of taxpayers in our community who chose to send their children to Catholic or independent schools.
“The announcement follows a recent trend of policy making that discriminates against schools in the Catholic sector including paid teaching rounds for pre-service teachers if they choose placement in a government school.”
Ms Fogarty emphasised the need for equitable support across all educational sectors.
“We believe the payment should apply to all students or be means-tested for everyone. It should not be based on the school attended,” she said.
Ms Fogarty also pointed out that thousands of parents in regional Victoria are left wondering why the Victorian Government refuses to assist them with their cost-of-living pressures while allocating funds to families in Melbourne’s wealthiest suburbs.
“I call on the Victorian Government to treat all Victorians equally when deciding which school families receive financial support for cost-of-living pressures.
“Our sector will urgently seek a meeting with the government to better understand why Catholic school families have been treated unfairly, and I will personally be requesting a meeting with Premier Jacinta Allan, who is the local member for Bendigo East, where eight of our Catholic Schools are situated,” she concluded.
Mr Tilley said residents in and around Rutherglen are encouraged to show their support for a more equitable School Saving Bonus by visiting: http://fairschoolbonus.com.au/
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