Originally Posted by
Bleedin Thumb
That doesn't sound right to me. I did a quick search on the net and found this, part of a interview with Angelo Gavrelatos - Deputy president of the Australian Education Union (sorry I cant vouch for its credibility)
"
It started in the 1960s as the result of a campaign by the Catholic schools, which account for the largest percentage of private schools in Australia. The Catholics threatened to close down their schools in a country town west of Sydney, in essence blackmailing the government by saying they would bring down the entire education system because the public schools could not have immediately coped with the extra children.
As a result of that campaign, the government started funding private schools, first through monies targeted for science and libraries. Year by year, the funding increased to the point where the federal government now gives what we call recurrent funding — or in your terms, ongoing per-pupil funding — to the private schools. What started as a campaign allegedly based on need has become a program where private schools feel they are automatically entitled to public funds. Between 2005 and 2008, the federal government will give 75 percent of recurrent education funding to private schools. "
This is inspite of the fact that 75% of children go to public schools.