What is a common framework?

Under a common framework all schools – whether they are in the Government, Independent or Catholic sectors – would be fully publicly funded, free to the user, and enrol students on a common, comprehensive basis.

A common framework of responsibilities and obligations would apply equally to all publicly funded schools guaranteeing that:

• all schools that receive public funding, whether they’re in the government or non-government sector, are free to the user and prohibited from charging fees
• all schools that receive public funding are open to children of all abilities, and prohibited from excluding children on the basis of entrance tests and other similar discriminators; non-government schools could continue to apply enrolment and other policies necessary to promote their specific religious or educational ethos
• non-government schools that accept these conditions are fully publicly funded to meet recurrent and capital costs on the same needs-basis as government schools
• non-government schools that continue to charge fees or reject inclusive enrolment obligations would no longer receive any public funding.

A common framework will eliminate the segregation that is a blight on our school system, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to thrive in more socio-economically mixed schools.