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NSW-based students have long been able to be educated in Canberra \u2013 now the state government could be billed for it. Photo: Michelle Kroll.<\/p>\n
The NSW Government could soon get a bill asking for millions of dollars to compensate the Territory for the education cross-border students are receiving in Canberra\u2019s public system.<\/p>\n
All MLAs agreed to the motion brought by interim ACT Greens leader Jo Clay, calling on the ACT Government to fully cost the Territory\u2019s spending on NSW students in primary and secondary schools and to invoice the NSW Government on a cost-recovery basis from Term 3 onwards.<\/p>\n
Ms Clay pointed out that such an arrangement already existed for health and said it should exist for education as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not possible to balance every dollar perfectly, [but] for education, we haven\u2019t even made an attempt [to recover costs],\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ACT gets no funding from NSW for NSW students in our schools, and that imbalance is structural, it\u2019s persistent and it\u2019s growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) does provide the Territory with some funding to cover the cost of educating non-residents, but the full extent of that allowance is unclear.<\/p>\n
Ms Clay said clarity was needed to understand not just the operational cost of educating NSW students, but also the infrastructure and maintenance wear and tear.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about ensuring that when services are provided, the costs \u2026 are shared properly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about making sure we don\u2019t ask ACT ratepayers to cover the costs of NSW services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Clay estimated that about 1000 NSW students attend ACT public schools every day. The ACT Government spent $22,265 per public school student in 2023-24 (before factoring in subsidies to private schools).<\/p>\n
She said this meant the Territory was spending about $23.4 million educating students from across the border.<\/p>\n
\u201c$23.4 million is quite a lot of money for us to leave on the table,\u201d Ms Clay said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ACT Government must invoice NSW on a cost recovery basis, including capital costs and depreciation, for every NSW student attending an ACT-funded educational institution.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanberrans deserve a government that fights for fair funding, not one that leaves money on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shadow Education Minister Elizabeth Lee agreed.<\/p>\n
She questioned why the ACT Government had just accepted what it had been getting through the CGC and hadn\u2019t explored other options sooner.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the 10 years that [Yvette Berry] has been education minister, she has not done one thing to discuss reimbursement or even a contribution from the NSW Government for cross-border enrolments,\u201d Ms Lee said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is unfair. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n
Education Minister Yvette Berry welcomed any opportunity to investigate how to better support Canberra\u2019s education system.<\/p>\n
But she also wanted to clarify a few points.<\/p>\n
Ms Berry pointed out ACT families were allowed to send their children to NSW schools \u2013 and in fact the 2025 school census showed there were 170 Canberra children in NSW public schools (compared to 979 NSW students in ACT public schools).<\/p>\n
Cross-border enrolments also occur between NSW and Queensland and between NSW and Victoria, but no pay arrangements have been established between those states.<\/p>\n
NSW residents have access to six public primary schools, five high schools and three college \u201cpathway\u201d schools in Canberra, along with non-government options.<\/p>\n
\u201cI acknowledge that the ACT\u2019s smaller size means that cross-border enrolments proportionally have a greater impact on the ACT compared to other states and territories,\u201d Ms Berry said.<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth\u2019s Fairer Schools funding means the ACT Government receives funding based on enrolments rather than a student\u2019s home address, but it is funding the resourcing share for NSW-based students.<\/p>\n
Ms Clay\u2019s motion means the ACT Government will need to report back and table all correspondence and representations made by ministers and officials to the NSW Government on this matter by 15 September.<\/p>\n