On education funding

Marcus L’Estrange writes: Re. “Coalition can never have clean hands on education funding” (yesterday). Look, the current madness of political funding of education, which really started off with the Menzies government funding of science blocks in non government schools, through to Gonski will continue forever unless we do the obvious. Institute a system of one government school system for all of Australia, run by a cabinet of nine education ministers. One from each state and territory plus the Commonwealth Minister. Secondly, Commonwealth funding to non state schools which cannot afford the similar level state government’s spends per student would be on the basis as the cost to educate a student in state schools, which I think is around $14,000 per student in a secondary school, less in primary schools. The total wealth of a private school, (land, cash reserves,etc) would be strictly means tested.