This week’s school funding announcement is not just bad policy and contrary to the national interest of improving our education performance but is outrageous in its bald-faced audacity. All those who care about equity and fairness should be outraged, but it is poorer Catholics who should be especially upset about this deal.

The first egregious element of this package is that it is completely partisan. No mention of the public school sector other than to say it is getting increased funding. Well, the non-government sector is also getting more money so nothing new there. This is purely a political fix to shut down a powerful lobby group.

The federal government's new funding deal has little to recommend it. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Second, neither the Commonwealth nor the Catholic sector are even pretending this is fair or needs-based or that any of the extra money is going towards improving student outcomes. There has been no mention of how any of this extra money would help schools like St Joseph’s Catholic School in Hillston in the state's west or children from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds.

The National Catholic Education Commission makes it clear it was upset the Gonski 2.0 funding model was going to affect schools in “higher SES areas” and that it was concerned it would lose enrolments in those wealthier suburbs.