That's nicely convenient that your non-existent 'proof' has disappeared. it really is quite simple. staff go to where the best conditions (including salary) are. and they are FLOODING to the private sector for reasons that are blindingly obvious to everyone but you.

Dear [Subscriber]

A Coalition Government will improve and expand the existing Education Tax Rebate.

As the table below highlights, the Coalition’s rebate will offer greater assistance to parents and ease the pressure on family budgets.





For full details of our policy click http://www.email.swordcdc.com/t/r/l/myhgt/yuuydtlhl/d.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Authorised by Brian Loughnane for the Liberal Party of Australia
Cnr Blackall & Macquarie Streets, Barton ACT 2600 

     Real action to help families meet school costs

     21/07/10

     A Coalition government will improve and expand the existing Education Tax Rebate to help families with the costs of their children’s education and help ease pressure on family budgets.

     An additional $760 million over the forward estimates will be committed to increasing the amount of the rebate for primary and secondary students and significantly expanding the type of expenses that can be claimed.

     For primary students, we will increase the rebate to up to $500 per year per child in primary school. Eligible families will be able to claim a 50 per cent rebate for up to $1,000 of eligible education-related expenses for each child in primary school.

     For secondary school students, we will increase the rebate to up to $1,000 per year per child. Eligible families will be able to claim a 50 per cent rebate for up to $2,000 of education-related expenses for each child in secondary school.

     We will also expand the types of expenses to which the rebate will apply. Under the Coalition, eligible expenses will include:
         o School fees
         o School camps and excursions
         o Special education costs for children with disabilities, like dyslexia
         o Extra-curricular activities such as music, dance or drama lessons
         o Tutoring costs
         o Musical instruments required for lessons
         o School photos
         o Sporting fees and equipment

     The expanded rebate will commence on 1 January 2011 which means that eligible parents will be able to claim the rebate for expenses incurred for the next school year.

     Uptake of the Rudd-Gillard Government’s scheme has been poor because it is too narrowly focussed. Labor excluded school fees from the rebate, despite the fact that school fees represent a significant financial burden for parents.

     Labor has also failed to properly implement their rebate, which has meant eligible parents have missed out on $1.6 billion of assistance they were originally promised over four years to 2012-13.

     Labor’s recent extension of the Rebate to cover school uniform costs is welcome, but this rebate extension won’t even start until the 2011-12 financial year meaning parents will not see any money back in their pockets for at least two years. This is too little too late for families who have struggled to meet these costs for the last three years.

     Labor just doesn’t get it when it comes to delivering real action and practical assistance to families battling cost of living pressures.

     Australian families work hard to give their children the best possible start in life through a quality education. The Coalition will support parent’s choice about the education of their children by directly helping to ease the pressure on their family budget.

     The Coalition’s Education Tax Rebate is real action and if elected, starts in time for the new school year.

     This funding will be provided from the nearly $24 billion in recurrent savings that have been identified by the Coalition over the forward estimates. These are savings from cutting Labor’s waste and mismanagement and redirecting funding from inefficient and poorly performing Labor Government programmes.
           
LABOR’S REBATE
     
         o Can claim 50% rebate for up to $780 per primary school child  (= $390)

         o Can claim 50% rebate for up to $1558 per secondary school child  (= $779)
   
     Total for family with one primary school student and one secondary school student: $1169


THE COALITION REBATE
     
         o Can claim 50% rebate for up to $1000 per primary school child (= $500)
           
         o Can claim 50% rebate for up to $2000 per secondary school child  (= $1000)

     Total for family with one primary school student and one secondary school student: $1500


     Labor’s Eligible Expenses
         o Laptops
         o Home computers and associated costs
         o Home internet connection
         o Printers
         o Education software
         o School text books
         o School stationary
         o Uniforms
           

      Coalition’s Eligible Expenses
         o Laptops
         o Home computers and associated costs
         o Home internet connection
         o Printers
         o Education software
         o School text books
         o School stationery
         o Uniforms
         o Government and non-government school fees
         o Special education costs for children with disabilities, like dyslexia
         o Camps and excursions
         o Extra-curricular school activities, such as music, sports, dance and drama lessons
         o Tutoring costs
         o Musical instruments
         

I would find it difficult to oppose this policy.

While I understand both sides of the argument I see no problem with giving the same set of rules to both private and public students in terms of tax benefit. (if it is affordable) I do think that Public schools should be looked after first in terms of direct public funding.

The government run the Public school system and should have a priority to funding their schools properly, anything they can give in support of private education after this is a good thing and well worth the expense.

My vested interest is that I have a daughter in private education and am also paying for music lessons on multiple instruments.

Note: I was happy to buy my daughter a Laptop while all Public students in NSW got one for free and do not mind paying the rather steep fees for her education.

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