Contributing to Stronger WA Communities

Contributing to Western
Australia's Economy
$611M
Amount that Catholic schools
saved WA taxpayers in 2019
$262M
Amount that Catholic schools
saved Federal Government in 2019
As government funding only accounts for 76% of the cost of education
for students attending a Catholic schools, parents are required to
contribute to the cost of their children’s education if they choose to
send their child to a Catholic school. If Catholic school students were
to take up government school places to which they are entitled, the WA
taxpayer would have to bear significant extra costs.
In its independent analysis, Ernst & Young (EY) has determined that the
current funding model for Catholic schools results in significant annual
savings to both State and Federal governments. Combined with the
significant contribution that Catholic schools make to the WA economy,
the WA taxpayer benefits significantly from Catholic education.
In 2019, more than 76,000 Catholic school
students were entitled to, but did not
take up a place in a government school.
Recurrent Savings
$1.64bn
GVA contribution in 2019; 17% of total
WA Education & Training sector
The current agreement between the State and Federal governments
requires the WA State Government fund most of the cost of government
schools, and a smaller portion of costs for non-government schools.
This agreement means that the WA Government saves $611 million
per annum and the Federal Government saves $262 million in
recurrent costs alone by not having to fund the full cost of educating
those students currently enrolled in Catholic schools.
This figure has been calculated by
comparing how much base funding
each Catholic school student in WA
would attract from the State and Federal
Governments under the existing funding
agreement if all Catholic school students
moved to government schools.
In 2019, under current funding
arrangements, Catholic primary schools in
Western Australia received an estimated
16% less in per-student base funding
when compared to government schools;
and secondary schools received 30%
less in per student base funding when
compared to government schools.
8 | Contributing to stronger WA communities