Victorian public schools are set to miss out on up to $5 billion due to an “escape clause” in the recent funding deal inked between the state and the Commonwealth.

That’s the finding of a new analysis by former Productivity Commission economist and education researcher Trevor Cobbold, who has accused politicians of using accounting tricks to reduce funding for public schools.

There are concerns public school students are being shortchanged under the Gonski 2.0 agreement Credit:Arsineh Houspian

Last month, Victoria became the last Australian state to sign up to the Gonski 2.0 funding deal.

And for the first time, it has been allowed to include some of its spending on regional and rural student transport, the running of curriculum and school watchdogs and the depreciation of capital assets as part of its share of the schooling resource standard.