As the first major inquiry into education funding since 1973, the report was an anticipated stake through the heart of private schools, and a goodbye to elite school welfare forever.

They're a bit disappointed. While non-government school funding would be based on a private school's capacity to pay, under the Gonski model there would still be a foundation of minimum funding for private schools, based on the philosophy that all children are entitled to an education at a certain level.

The private school doubters would have the nation's 1.2 million non-government school students either be home-schooled by mum and dad, or made to front up to the nearest government school and stand up straight in line.

The school state aid debate is a ripper. More than most topics it will rip off the scab.

State aid to independent schools is the debate we'll damn well have, to demand who we are and who our friends are. No prisoners are taken.

No quarter is given. It's like a micro-federal election in a quiet street between former friends and neighbours.

I was never a private school student but felt like one at Glen Dhu Primary School. When the family moved to Hobart I was sent to a primary school that, by comparison with Glen Dhu, was like a modern version of Point Puer boys' prison at Port Arthur. The teaching staff were fine. Most of the male pupils were little thugs.

As the nation has prospered, today your average tradesman is just as likely to send his kids to a private school as those in the white collar workforce. With better incomes we have greater freedom.

The old notion that only the very wealthy use private schools is obsolete. Some families who are struggling will sacrifice much to get the kids a private school education, with great hopes that it gives them a shot at a top professional career.

Catholic schools say they carry up to $150,000 in unpaid levies from battler families.

This is why in the past decade private school enrolments are up by 22 per cent and government schools are up by only 1.1 per cent.

Of the $42 billion spent on education in Australia almost 80 per cent goes on government schools. Of this total almost 90 per cent comes from state and territory governments and 10.8 per cent from Canberra.

In the private school sector Canberra coughs up 73 per cent and the states chip in 27 per cent.

In Tasmania, out of a budget of $1 billion for schools the Productivity Commission found that $835 million was spent on government schools by both tiers of government and $185 million was spent on private schools.

The figures don't show that of the $835 million spent by the state government up to 40 per cent comes from Canberra anyway in the form of GST and tied grants.

The pet hate of private school doubters is those elite schools that charge families a fortune in fees and pick up a fortune in government grants.

This may be true for some schools, but something that could be dealt with by ranking schools on a sliding scale for funding, according to their capacity. Why should schools be penalised for fund-raising?

It must always come down to the rights of the child. All students deserve a solid education and a chance to prosper.

If parents believe a non-government school is better able to educate their young they should be entitled to send their child to the school.

After all, they're still paying taxes for a state education system they're not using.

They're still saving the state system a fortune in capital outlays. Government funding of private schools would be a recognition of that fact.

Barry Prismall is a deputy editor of The Examiner.