The Productivity Commission Report on Government Services 2012 has been released, and once again shows the enormous value provided by non-government schools, despite the claims of public education lobbyists.

The Report notes that there were 3.5 million FTE students in August 2010, the data period on which the report is based. Of these slightly less than 66 percent were in government schools, with more than 1 in 3 students attending a non-government school.

The report notes that:

'Nationally, government expenditure per FTE student in all government schools was $14 380 in 2009-10. It increased (in average annual real terms) between 2005-06 and 2009-10 by 2.7 per cent per year'

and

'Nationally, government expenditure per FTE student in all non-government schools was $7 427 in 2009-10 It has increased in average annual real terms between 2005-06 and 2009-10 by 0.7 per cent per year'

In other words, the average government expenditure per student in government schools is almost twice the expenditure per student in non-government schools. In recent years government spending per government school student has been increasing at nearly four times the rate of government spending per student in non government schools.

With the Report indicating that in 2010 there were some 1.2 million students in non-government schools, this difference in average expenditure ($6,953) equates to more than $8.3 billion saved by government, due to the enrolment in non-government schools. While there will obviously be a range of factors that would ameliorate against such a direct calculation this does provide a broad indication of the quantum of savings generated.

The relevant chapter from the Productivity Commission report, which provides a range of other information on School Education is available here.