School Incentive Payments

[KatiesMum]

Labor unveils plan to offer schools up to $100,000 in incentives

KATHARINE MURPHY

August 9, 2010
SCHOOLS will be eligible for new incentives of up to $100,000 if they can boost literacy, numeracy and attendance rates under a $388 million program that Labor will unveil today.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard will try to push past the dramas of the weekend and build momentum in the critical final fortnight with a new policy pitched at the families that applauded the accountability culture encouraged by the government's MySchool website.


Under the new program, primary schools will be offered $75,000 if the schools improve attendance, literacy and numeracy.
High schools will be offered $100,000. The criteria for high schools will be school attendance and year 12 retention, year 12 results, and the number of students going on successfully to work, vocational training, or university study.


Parents and school principals will be given control over how to spend their incentive payments. This follows sustained criticism that the government's huge school building program was driven too rigidly by state education authorities rather than by school communities.
The new schools program Ms Gillard will unveil in Perth will offer payments to 500 campuses in 2012 - pitching Labor's campaign discussion into an area of traditional strength. Labor will promise the system will be fully operational by 2014, offering the bonuses to 1000 schools.
The budget for the program is $388 million over five years. More than $160 million will be spent over the current forward estimates.
The Prime Minister will commit to establishing an Office of National School Evaluation within the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority to oversee the new incentives system.
Assessments for the bonus payments will be done with a combination of national data and a self-assessment by individual schools. Schools must be able to demonstrate clear year-on-year improvements to have a prospect of winning incentive payments.


The combination of national and self-assessment will aim to overcome the inherent difficulties in comparing very enriched schools with highly disadvantaged schools.
Labor has aimed to capitalise on voters' perceptions that it is better for education than its Liberal opponents with several campaign pledges. Labor has also narrowed the policy difference with the Liberals in two key areas.
Last week the government neutralised the fraught political issue of funding for private schools by promising to maintain the current investment for a year longer than expected.

Sorry - but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

The elite (and rich) schools - who already have high attendance and good results (or they get rid of the students who dont perform) will easily get incentives.

The poorer schools, who struggle (ie the ones who need the extra money) are the ones who will not be able to meet the criteria.

Also - it will be easier for smaller schools to get a % increase in these things than for bigger schools.

Another from me for this one.

[Ana Gram]

A terrible idea. However, not enough to make me vote Liberal, especially after seeing Abbott talk about welfare recipients.

[Benji]

A terrible idea. However, not enough to make me vote Liberal, especially after seeing Abbott talk about welfare recipients.

[Angelmist♥]

I have to agree with you . At first I thought cool, more money for schools! But in reality, the schools in low socio-economic areas will go without AGAIN.

I'm all for raising numeracy,literacy and attendance levels but you can't do that without funding most of the time so IMO they're definitely putting the cart before the horse.

[Nomsie]

Sorry - but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

The elite (and rich) schools - who already have high attendance and good results (or they get rid of the students who dont perform) will easily get incentives.

The poorer schools, who struggle (ie the ones who need the extra money) are the ones who will not be able to meet the criteria.

Also - it will be easier for smaller schools to get a % increase in these things than for bigger schools.

Another from me for this one.

I'm in two minds about this. It *could* be good if executed correctly and has minimal loopholes to take advantage of.

Because it's based on percentage it won't matter the size of the school. And little schools don't necessarily have good percentage attendance rates. My school currently has 39 students. Of the grade 5/6 grade in which there is 13 students, 5 are chronic absentees- and the parents are ok with this. Up to 50% of school days are spent elsewhere for some of these kids and it's the norm. I'm not quite sure what this school can do to convince the parents to send their children to school that they haven't already tried- BUT if they can increase the attendance rates the money would be a huge help in other areas.

It's a hell of a lot more favourable than taking away sports from the kids- which would be much harder to execute anyway... because wouldn't that mean that private school attendance records would have to be made available to any 'sporting team' to ensure their members have a high enough attendance to play?

IDK... I'm not quite sure it is a perfect plan, but I like it better than yesterday's

[MummaBear03]

Ok so none of the ideas are fantastic, but what do YOU suggest the govt does to increase attendance?

[Benji]

Ok so none of the ideas are fantastic, but what do YOU suggest the govt does to increase attendance?

I don't think the answer would be easy but I find it sad that neither of the two major parties ever make a correlation between low attendance and the REAL underlying issues as to why, i.e. poverty.

[Nomsie]

Ok so none of the ideas are fantastic, but what do YOU suggest the govt does to increase attendance?

Like I said in the other thread- bring back truancy officers!!

[KatiesMum]

I don't think the answer would be easy but I find it sad that neither of the two major parties ever make a correlation between low attendance and the REAL underlying issues as to why, i.e. poverty.

yep that.

As for what I suggest - I think it should not be a 'one size fits all' solution. Different things will work in different places for different kids. The schools and communities need to have a bit of discretion to put different plans in place.


Please note - I am not in any way suggesting that people should vote for either party just because of one or two policies they dont like.

There are many Liberal policies I dont like either ... and I will undoubtedly post some of those for discussion too.

All I am trying to do is actually raise some of the issues and policies for debate rather than just the blanket statements of "Tony Abbott is a pratt" that we seem to be focussed on.

[nothanksbye]

I dont agree.

Its about improving their own attendance, literacy and numeracy.

Its not based on who gets the best its on who can improve.

Any school can work to improving..not just private schools.