The Review of Funding for Schooling (hereafter referred to as the Gonski Report) was established by the Rudd Government to do a comprehensive review of school funding in Australia. It examined funding by the Australian and state and territory governments and funding for public and private schools. It focused on increasing equity in education. It documented the relationship between social disadvantage and poor education achievement and demonstrated that disadvantage is highly concentrated in government schools.

This working paper is a comprehensive review of the original Gonski Inquiry and its report on school funding in Australia. It analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the funding model recommended by the report.