Free public education

Public education should be free but last year South Australian parents had to pay hundreds of dollars in public school fees.

South Australian public schools are underfunded by hundreds of millions of dollars a year and parents are forced to make up some of the difference. Right now South Australia only receives 94% of the minimum School Resource Standard, which is the minimum amount schools need per student to provide a quality education. This means that South Australian public schools will be short $804 million in funding over the next four years. This will lead to larger class sizes, less teachers and more school fees.

The South Australian Greens will fully fund public education for more teachers, smaller class sizes, and no school fees.

The South Australian Greens will:

Right now parents have to pay hundreds of dollars a year in public school fees. Fees vary by school but can be as much as $800 a year for the Materials and Service charge alone. This is before you get to subject fees, textbooks, laptops, uniforms and excursions.

Last financial year South Australian public schools raised $60 million from the Material and Service charge and other subject fees. The Greens will fully fund public education with an extra $804 million over four years, scrap state school fees and ensure genuinely free public education for all South Australians. The Greens will also legislate to ban the charging of compulsory or volunteer student fees.