Unashamedly, the author treats children (other than his own) as objects, as "human capital", locking them up in schools in order to achieve his ambition of building a society.

Rather than the good of the children, he holds in his mind the desire to indoctrinate them so they get to serve in his "work force".

The argument posited in this article has three fatal flaws:
(i) Australia already had a need-based funding system, however it only operated in the non-government schooling sector and eventually failed for the same reason as the 'Gonski' model has - no government was prepared to provide it with the level of funding required to enable it to operate as it should have (remember, Labor didn't provide funding for it beyond 2017 either);
(ii) there is no acknowledgement of the contribution non-government schools have made to educating new arrivals to this country. Many refugees and migrants have opted to have their children educated in the non-government sector; and
(iii) the author is apparently not aware of the role that the non-government schooling sector has played in Australia's development as one of the most successful multicultural nations. Interestingly, he acknowledges that "Diversity is a strength for Australia," but then proceeds to try and argue that diversity in schooling choices for parents is a bad thing (a choice that is valued by many of those people he is purporting to speak for!).

Just another rent seeker. We already waste a huge amount of money on this nonsense and it just encourages the rent seekers.
Public Service salaries and conditions are a national disgrace and there should be a real cut back to what they are getting, starting with the teachers Union. Take them on and thrash the life out of them and then ensure we get real value for money. No stupid Uni degrees for studying soap operas, real subjects and proper evaluations not more money.

"the cost of properly educating students from non-English speaking backgrounds was greater."

Yet another reason to stop the absurd pancultural fairytale.

Most Very High Human Development Index countries are either English speaking (UK, US, Canada, NZ, Ireland) or learn English as a second language in school (most European countries).

Immigration from only the most advanced countries means most immigrant students are already familiar with English.

No extra cost or "support" required.

"To invite migrants to this country, and to then fail to properly fund the schools their children will need is short-sighted"

Who invited them?

"Failing to give all children an education that allows them to make the most of their talents is short-sighted."

Bringing in 69% of immigrants from less developed countries and 80% non-European is "short-sighted".

"The first step" would be to wake the hell up and stop "inviting" hard-to-employ immigrants with hard-to-teach children.

Spot-on, Shockadelic,

Isn't funny that when we are preached to about the benefits of diversity and multiculturalism no one seems to remember the costs!

How do they get here?
Migrate?
So why aren't the responsible parents ensuring that both they and their kids, have a fundamental grasp of english, before they get here or go to school!?
What does different needs really mean?
Madrases, where the kids can be thoroughly indoctrinated and radicalized perhaps?
Separate gender schools?
Good special needs idea, particularly when puberty raises its head, and distracts from all the reasons we send our kids to school; namely, to get a good education, and then do well in later life, thanks to it!
And if kids fall behind for any reason, including lack of insufficient english, then there's special ed, for genuine special needs!
A bit of difficulty, can be character building!
Been there done that!
We have it all covered, except say, where miscreants make excuses, in order just to serve another, possibly nefarious purpose.
We already have too many ghettos, and all the harm they do, without some separatists, [apartheid by another name,] trying to inculcate the very mindset that grows even more.
Or warmongering racialists?
Why do people who think it's better somewhere else, always complain about us and how we do things?
If the Author doesn't like us, our customs and traditions, and our universal education system, then he/she remains free, to go where it is more to his/her liking!
I'll even pass the hat around.
Rhrosty.