TRIPS – Targeting Resources in Primary Schools

Study into the Resourcing of Australian Primary Schools (SRAPS)

The current work on primary resourcing began in 2000 when the Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA) commissioned Max Angus to do a survey of government primary principals regarding resource issues they faced in their schools. This work was published the following year as Our Future.

The view of nearly 2,500 principals who responded was bleak. They felt that they were not able to meet the expectations placed on them.

As this was subjective, the Australian Government’s, Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) agreed to fund a more systematic investigation into the question of primary resourcing. This was done through the Study into the Resourcing of Australian Primary Schools (SRAPS) parts 1 & 2.

The purpose of SRAPS 1 was to identify the overall quantum of funding available to primary schools and to look at the historic reasons for the lower level of funding in primary education compared to secondary. The report of this work is published as Resourcing Australian Primary Schools: A Historical Perspective.

The purpose of SRAPS 2 was to investigate whether the historic factors creating the disparity in funding were still relevant and to assess the sufficiency of resource levels in primary education. This work has been published as The Sufficiency of Resources for Australian Primary Schools.

The findings of SRAPS 1 & 2 were that primary schools continued to be funded at lower levels than secondary schools although the disparity had diminished over the twentieth century. While, staff in one school reported they had sufficient resources to meet the National Goals of Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, the other 29 schools studied reported less favourable circumstances.

SRAPS 3 was commissioned by the Australian Primary Principals Association during 2005 with the support of a grant from DEST.

The purpose SRAPS 3 was to validate and extend the findings of Stage 2 with a larger sample of schools. This sample consisted of 160 primary schools from all states and territories and all school sectors.