School choice policies: how inequity in school funding exacerbates inequality in educational outcomes in Australia

Jenny Chesters

Chapter 5 in Neoliberalism, Inequality and Education, 2026, pp 77-93 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Despite efforts to encourage students from low socio-economic status (SES) families to enrol in university, low SES students continue to be under-represented in higher education. One of the factors that contributes to the failure of policies designed to attract low SES students into higher education is the inability of the primary and secondary school systems to prepare students from low SES families for university study. Analysis of PISA data indicates that students attending schools located in low SES areas are up to three years behind their peers attending schools located in high SES areas. This is partly driven by a school funding model that encourages school choice and exacerbates inequality related to SES. In Australia, all schools, even elite private schools, are eligible for government funding. The allocation of government funding for schools appears to have exacerbated, rather than alleviated, inequity in access to educational opportunities.

Keywords: Equity; School Funding; Neoliberal Policies; Higher Education; School Choice; Education Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035363711
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