The Allan Labor Government has excluded the vast majority of Catholic school families from the $400 School Savings Bonus announced in today’s State Budget in a move described by Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education as blatantly unfair.

Executive Director Tom Sexton says it is deeply disappointing that 87% of families across its 63 Catholic schools with 18,500 (1 in 5) students will miss out on the much-needed support, while 100% of government school families will benefit from the program.

‘Our Catholic school families are feeling cost-of-living pressures too, yet only those who are healthcare card holders (around 13%) are eligible for the program.

‘Like government schools, the vast majority of our Catholic school families are in the low and middle-income brackets.

‘They are taxpayers too yet have been excluded from this program.

‘We want to work with government to ensure students across all sectors receive the support they need to get the best education possible, but this policy is blatantly unfair.

‘We believe the payment should apply to all students or should be means-tested for all students. It should not be based on which school you attend,’ Tom Sexton said.

Mr Sexton said there will be thousands of parents across regional Victoria wondering why the State Government is refusing to help them with their cost-of-living pressures, while handing out money to families in Melbourne’s wealthiest suburbs.

‘Our sector will be seeking to meet with the government urgently, to better understand why they are treating families in Catholic schools like second-class citizens,’ he said.