King’s School in Sydney under investigation over use of taxpayer money
Australia/October 08, 2022/By: Australian Associated Press/Source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Elite private school reportedly planned to install plunge pool at headteacher’s house. The school says it takes its obligations seriously and is cooperating with the department.
An elite private school that charges $25,000 a year to educate seven-year-olds is under investigation over its use of taxpayer funds.
The King’s School in Sydney reportedly planned to install a plunge pool at the headteacher’s residence and sent the school’s senior staff to attend a British rowing event.
Those reports have sparked a NSW Department of Education inquiry into the 191-year-old independent school’s use of public funding.
“The expectation of any non-government school receiving public funding is very clear: the funding must be for the education of its students,” the education minister, Sarah Mitchell, said in a statement on Friday
“I expect all non-government schools comply with their not-for-profit requirements and will not hesitate to take action should it be clear they are non-compliant.”
The inquiry will be run in consultation with the Non-Government Schools Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, which is directly responsible for ensuring the financial responsibility and accountability of schools receiving NSW government funding.
If the North Parramatta school hadn’t followed the rules, there would be consequences, the former federal education minister Stuart Robert said.
“I would have thought it would be very easy for King’s to show the Department of Education how they’ve funded various assets and what they’ve done with the money,” the Liberal MP told Nine’s Today program on Friday.
“I suggest they do that quickly.”
King’s has been contacted for comment.
In a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald, the school said it took its obligations seriously and was cooperating with the department.
The Anglican school is the oldest independent school in the country, charging about $24,000 for kindergarten students up to $40,000 for year 12 students. Boarders are charged about $27,000 annually on top of tuition fees.
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