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What I found on this entity
$18B primarily in school funding grants. The department's own administrative effectiveness has no published outcome targets — annual report conflates pass-through grants with departmental performance.
Annual Budget
$18.0B
Prior year: $17.2B (+5%)
Headcount
3,100 staff
$6M per employee
Budget Trend
→ Budget Flat
Portfolio
Education
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Actual
Grants administration. No outcome measures for departmental effectiveness distinct from sector-wide education metrics.
Source: Education 2023–24 Annual Report. Most funding is SRS grants passed to states.
My Findings & Evidence2 findings
ANAO15 Mar 2024
$3.1B wasted
$3.1B in VET funding — no performance measurement framework
ANAO found the Department of Education administered $3.1 billion in vocational education and training funding without adequate performance measurement. Only 12% of approved training providers had their performance reviewed against student outcome benchmarks in the 2023-24 cycle. Millions in public funding flowing to providers with no demonstrated effectiveness. No data. No accountability. Just payments.
$1.2B in University research grants — no competitive selection process
Senate Estimates revealed $1.2 billion in research block grants to universities were distributed using a formula-based allocation with no competitive assessment of research quality or impact. The largest research funding stream in Australian higher education — allocated by mathematical formula, not merit. The universities with the most students get the most money. Research outcomes, irrelevant.