Resource allocation in the government schools of Australia and New Zealand: a summary of the reports of the Staffing and Resources Study

Issues of resource allocation to schools extend beyond the question of class size. Patterns of resource allocation are likely to be influenced by three continuing debates. One involves balancing equity in school staffing with encouraging diversity in school programs. Another involves the encouragement of devolution of authority to schools against a tradition of centralized political responsibility. A third centres on the debate about priorities among the many purposes of schooling. Schools now fill an expanded role which matches widening community expectations. Support for that role has implications for the level and type of resources allocated to schools. This book is a summary of the extensive information contained in three major reports of the Staffing and Resources Study.