By Jewel Topsfield
IT WAS the letter that sent government schools in Geelong into apoplexy.
The Geelong College, one of the nation's most exclusive private schools, wrote to state schools in the local area requesting a ''gift for our anniversary year''.
The Geelong College spent $2674 per student on capital expenditure while Geelong High School spent $302 per student.Credit: Pat Scala
Thanks to the community, the letter said, The Geelong College had last year been able to refurbish its original 1873 school entrance, upgrade the senior school science laboratory and preparatory school play areas and support ''our scholarship program''.
''Your donation is important to us,'' the letter said.
Geelong High School principal David Whelan - whose pleas for government funding to overhaul his school's outdated 60-year-old facilities have fallen on deaf ears - was bemused by the ''cheeky'' request.
''It's not the first time we've received something from The Geelong College asking for donations,'' said Mr Whelan, who ''filed'' the letter in his rubbish bin.
''I am a little bit incredulous that a very well-to-do school like The Geelong College is requesting support from the state system. It is a little bit offensive [when] our school is screaming out for a refurbishment. I think they seriously need to look at their mailing list.''
To look at its mailing list is exactly what The Geelong College has promised to do.
Principal Pauline Turner said the school sincerely apologised for the ''oversight in database management'' and had sent a letter of apology to all those affected.
''It is not the college's policy to solicit donations from fellow schools and institutions that have their own fund-raising needs and appeals,'' Dr Turner said. ''Unfortunately, the annual giving campaign, normally only sent to selected members of the college community, has been sent to all our community members in error.''
While the letter to Geelong High, Grovedale College and other government schools may have been sent in error, it highlights the resources available to wealthy independent schools for fund-raising and theaggressive marketing techniques used to attract donations.
According to the My School website, The Geelong College spent $2674 per student in 2009 on capital expenditure, which is money used to buy or improve assets such as buildings, property or equipment. This included $3 million for 160 hectares of land on the Hamilton Highway near the Geelong Ring Road.
Geelong High School spent $302 per student on capital expenditure in 2009.
Australian Education Union president Angelo Gavrielatos said The Geelong College stood as a shining symbol of why a major overhaul of school funding arrangements was needed.
He said the school's Commonwealth recurrent funding had increased by 285 per cent in real terms from 2001 to 2009.
''Ultimately, what the current funding system fails to take into account is the total resources at the disposal of private schools,'' Mr Gavrielatos said.
Meanwhile, Geelong High could do with a few ''gifts'' of its own. Mr Whelan said a $15 million to $20 million redevelopment of the school, approved by the former government, had been ''knocked on the head'' by the Baillieu government.
''We are the oldest state secondary school in Geelong and the oldest buildings go back to 1915,'' he said. ''Not much has been done on these buildings other than cosmetic stuff for the whole time they have been there. We are frustrated because we have been told very clearly at this time there is no money.''