墨尔本独立学校被曝超额申领2290万澳元残障资金

澳大利亚联邦教育部已通知墨尔本独立学校赫斯特·霍恩布鲁克学院，该校超额申领残障教育资金2290万澳元，并要求其退款1。这是政府在打击学校残障资金超额申领的四年行动中曝光的最大单笔案例，超过教育部从300所学校累计追回的1200万澳元1。该学院已表示将对该决定提出异议，但已宣布大幅削减项目和员工1。

学院在残障支持等级划分上存在严重异常。赫斯特·霍恩布鲁克学院将超过91%的学生列入最高残障支持需求等级，远远高于全国平均水平的2.8%1。2024年，该学院每名学生获得约64000澳元资金，是维多利亚州政府学校平均水平的三倍1。该学院的联邦助学金收入占其总收入的82%，从2023年的2100万澳元大幅增长至去年超过3600万澳元1。

教育部长杰森·克莱尔表示，通过此类行动希望在四年内节省约463万澳元1。该学院主要创始人、墨尔本城市使命机构的首席执行官表示学校"始终善意地努力遵守NCCD指南"，并表示将"仔细考虑可用选项"1。

Melbourne-based independent school Hurst Hornbrook Academy has been ordered to repay $22.9 million in disability education funding after being informed by the Australian federal education department that it significantly over-claimed support allocations.1 This represents the largest single case uncovered in the government's crackdown on schools that have collectively over-claimed approximately $500 million in disability assistance, far exceeding the $12 million the department recovered from 300 schools over the previous four years.1

The school listed over 91% of its students in the highest disability support needs category, a figure dramatically above the national average of 2.8%.1 This inflated classification enabled the academy to receive approximately $64,000 per student in 2024, roughly triple the average funding level for Victorian government schools.1 Federal assistance grants comprised 82% of the school's total revenue, surging from $21 million in 2023 to over $36 million in the following year.1 Education Minister Jason Clare indicated the government expects to recover approximately $463 million through such enforcement actions over a four-year period.1

The school's founding organisation, the Melbourne City Mission, released a statement through its chief executive asserting that the academy had "always made good faith efforts to comply with NCCD guidelines" and would "carefully consider the available options" in response to the directive.1 Despite contesting the department's decision, the school has announced substantial cuts to its programs and staff.1