Committee Membership

Committee Members

Participating Members

Senators Cory Bernardi, Catryna Bilyk, Carol Brown, David Bushby, Doug Cameron, Matthew Canavan, Kim Carr, Stephen Conroy, Sam Dastyari, Sean Edwards, John Faulkner, David Fawcett, Alex Gallacher, Sue Lines, Joseph Ludwig, Kate Lundy, Ian Macdonald, Gavin Marshall, Anne McEwen, James McGrath, Jan McLucas, Claire Moore, Barry O'Sullivan, Nova Peris, Helen Polley, Linda Reynolds, Anne Ruston, Zed Seselja, Lisa Singh, Dean Smith, Glenn Sterle, Penny Wong

About this Committee

Resolution establishing the committee:

That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on School Funding, be established to inquire into and report on the development and implementation of national school funding arrangements and school reform, with particular reference to:

  1. the implementation of needs-based funding arrangements, from 1 January 2014, for all schools and school systems, including:
    1. Commonwealth funding, methods for the distribution of funds, funding arrangements and agreements with states and territories, as well as related accountability and transparency measures,
    2. funding arrangements for individual schools,
    3. the extent to which schools can anticipate their total future funding and links to educational programs in future years,
    4. the consequential equity of educational opportunity between states and territories, schools and students,
    5. progress towards the Schooling Resource Standard, and
    6. the implementation of schools reforms,
  2. how funding arrangements will meet the needs of all schools and individual students, including Indigenous students, students with disability, small schools, remote schools, students with limited English, and students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds;
  3. the Government’s proposed changes to the Australian Education Act 2013, related legislative instruments and their consequences;
  4. the economic impacts of school education policy;
  5. the Government’s consideration of expert findings, research, public consultation and reports in the development and implementation of school policy, including the selection of experts to provide advice on education policy; and
  6. any related matters.
  1. That the committee may present interim reports and must present a final report on or before 26 June 2014.

On 26 June 2014, the Senate granted an extension of time for reporting until 9 July 2014.

The Select committee concluded its inquiry when it tabled its report on 9 July 2014.



Committee Secretariat contact:

Senior Clerk's Office
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3555
Fax: +61 2 6277 3899
seniorclerk.committees.sen@aph.gov.au