The following analysis and statistics are based on DOGS research and data supplied by the Federal Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

Full details can be obtained from No 4 and No. 14 on our Statistics page on this website at  www.adogs.info/statistics. htm . 

1 Greatest Expansion of Church Schools in the Period 1985-2005.

DOGS have selected any religious affiliation that has had an increase of 10 or more schools in the twenty year period 1985 to 2005. In this period Church schools or non-government schools increased by 375. Those that had ten or more increase make up 360 of the 375 new schools. The following figures do not indicate the number of new schools opened in the twenty year period, but only reflect the actual increase in the number of schools of the particular affiliation. The expansion of the private church school sector can be illustrated as follows:

 Religious School Affiliation                                            Increase in Number                Total in 2005

Non-Denominational Schools                                                    75                                           175

Other Religious Affiliation and Christian Schools                         59                                          131

Anglican Schools                                                                       48                                           150

Steiner Schools                                                                          35                                           45

Moslem Schools                                                                        26                                            29

Montessori Schools                                                                   25                                            35

Inter-Denominational Schools                                                     20                                           28

Lutheran  Schools                                                                      19                                            82

Pentecostal   Schools                                                                 18                                            18

Assemblies of God                                                                     15                                            15

Brethren Schools                                                                        10                                            10 

Catholic (Other)                                                                          10                                           10

2. Expansion of the Roman Catholic School Sector

The largest  religious school sector, the Roman Catholic school sector, have increased from 1683 in 1985 to 1688. They have closed small or uneconomic schools but opened up many new schools in developing areas - at public expense. This sector has also amalgamated schools within selected geographic areas.          

3.  Significance of Expansion Figures Above

The most significant figures above for those interested in public education and social cohesion in our society, is the increase in the Anglican and Moslem school sector. This can be seen in a comparison of figures for 2000 and 2005. The Anglicans have increased their schools by 15, and the Islamic /Moslem schools have increased by 8. The Australian Anglicans have indicated that they plan to increase their market share of the education dollar with at least another 10 schools in the next year or two. This represents a massive expansion and consequent erosion of the public school sector.

DOGS predicted in the 1960s that public education would be in serious trouble once the Anglicans threw away the nineteenth century settlement with the men of the Enlightenment, deserted the public system and went after taxpayers dollars. Their religious schools are a source of pence and power.

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