View in EDS

The 'Better and Fairer Schools Agreement'; Fairer Funding but Not Fair

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The 'Better and Fairer Schools Agreement'; Fairer Funding but Not Fair
Language: English
Authors: Jane Kenway, Rebecca Boden (ORCID 0000-0001-7874-2440)
Source: Australian Educational Researcher. 2025 52(4):2999-3019.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Educational Finance, Educational Equity (Finance), Educational Policy, Policy Formation, Resource Allocation, Public Schools, Private Schools, Educational Resources, Reputation
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1007/s13384-025-00860-2
ISSN: 0311-6999
2210-5328
Abstract: In 2024, the Australian Federal Labor Government announced the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025-2034, which sets policy, inter alia, for Australian school funding for the next ten years. This paper contributes to the critical policy analysis literature on school funding by undertaking a focused analysis of this recent policy, deploying a novel analytical framework. It explores and evaluates the likely impact of the BFSA on equity in funding allocations between the public and private school sectors. Our analysis indicates that the Australian private school sector operates an accumulation economy by which it is accreting resources and reputation to itself, at the expense of the public sector. We identify three interrelated dynamics of accumulation--extraction, mystification and depletion. In each category, the capacity of the BFSA to address these issues is evaluated. We conclude that, while under this new policy the funding system will be slightly fairer, it barely scratches the surface of Australia's equity in funding issues.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1487857
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1487857
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The 'Better and Fairer Schools Agreement'; Fairer Funding but Not Fair
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jane+Kenway%22">Jane Kenway</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rebecca+Boden%22">Rebecca Boden</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7874-2440">0000-0001-7874-2440</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Australian+Educational+Researcher%22"><i>Australian Educational Researcher</i></searchLink>. 2025 52(4):2999-3019.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 21
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Equity+%28Finance%29%22">Educational Equity (Finance)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Policy+Formation%22">Policy Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resource+Allocation%22">Resource Allocation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Private+Schools%22">Private Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Resources%22">Educational Resources</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reputation%22">Reputation</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1007/s13384-025-00860-2
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0311-6999<br />2210-5328
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In 2024, the Australian Federal Labor Government announced the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025-2034, which sets policy, inter alia, for Australian school funding for the next ten years. This paper contributes to the critical policy analysis literature on school funding by undertaking a focused analysis of this recent policy, deploying a novel analytical framework. It explores and evaluates the likely impact of the BFSA on equity in funding allocations between the public and private school sectors. Our analysis indicates that the Australian private school sector operates an accumulation economy by which it is accreting resources and reputation to itself, at the expense of the public sector. We identify three interrelated dynamics of accumulation--extraction, mystification and depletion. In each category, the capacity of the BFSA to address these issues is evaluated. We conclude that, while under this new policy the funding system will be slightly fairer, it barely scratches the surface of Australia's equity in funding issues.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1487857
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1487857
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s13384-025-00860-2
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 2999
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Equity (Finance)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Policy Formation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resource Allocation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Private Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Resources
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reputation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The 'Better and Fairer Schools Agreement'; Fairer Funding but Not Fair
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jane Kenway
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rebecca Boden
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0311-6999
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2210-5328
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 52
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Australian Educational Researcher
              Type: main
ResultId 1