Bendigo Senior Secondary College principal Dale Pearce said many schools were falling well below the designated level of funding required for each student.

"My concern is that the funding model isn't addressing the level of need of all students across the nation," Mr Pearce said. "The current model is clearly inequitable.

"If we want to raise the level of education attainment across the nation, and if we want a more educated population, we need to ensure all children have access to high quality education.

"Over the past ten years, there has been substantial increases to funding in the non-government area, far beyond what government schools are getting.

"There's a gap and that gap has been growing wider."

Government schools, which account for about 65.6 per cent of students in 2020, receive the majority of their funding from the state government.

Non-government schools, or schools in the independent and Catholic sector, receive the majority of their funding from the federal government.

Both government and non-government schools receive some funding from the alternative level of government, as well as through fees, parent contributions, and other private sources.

Analysis of funding data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority showed the amount of funding per student in Bendigo secondary schools varied greatly.

Bendigo Senior Secondary College was the largest Victorian Certificate of Education provider in the state, with more than 1700 year 11 and 12 students enrolled at the school in 2018.

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Data from ACARA showed the school received about $13,276 of funding per student that year, up from $12,903 in 2014.

Other government schools like Bendigo South East College and Weeroona College had similar figures, with $12,927 and $14,398 going towards students at each respective school.

At the other end of the scale, funding per student at Girton Grammar School sat at $18,848 in 2018.

About $15,947 in funding was going to each student at Catherine McAuley College in the same year.

Mr Pearce said ACARA's information was not always reliable. He said the funding per student at his school in 2020 was actually about $9219.

"I don't want to indulge in criticism of the level of funding in other schools because all students are worthy of financial support from the state and Commonwealth," Mr Pearce said.

"A particular concern for Bendigo Senior Secondary College would be that the funding model for schools in Victoria does not recognise the additional cost of running a senior secondary school.

"Typically, schools that also run from years seven to 10 would be spending more on their senior students. That is mainly because schools run smaller class sizes at VCE.

"Some are able to cost shift within their year levels. We are not able to do that. The cost of delivering education to senior students is greater and it's not reflected in the funding model we have."

Mr Pearce said there were issues in the way the state and federal governments worked together to fund schools.

"The federal government meets 80 per cent of the resourcing standard in non-government schools but only 20 per cent of the funding standard in state government schools," he said.

"The rest of the burden falls to the state government. We find there are different levels of funding for government schools in every state.

"Victoria is historically at the lower end of that. My view is that there is certainly a role for the state government in funding schools but there's also a role for the federal government.

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"Part of the challenge is that there is a significant fiscal imbalance between the state and Commonwealth.

"The Commonwealth, with GST, has greater funding capacity. The resolution of this issue, as well as issues like health funding, really has a lot to do with federal and state relations."

But while Mr Pearce said there needed to be changes, Catholic Education Office Sandhurst director Paul Desmond said he did not share the same concerns.

"I believe both the Commonwealth and the state government are doing their utmost to make sure young people get every chance," Mr Desmond said.

"We are well supported by both levels of government for the provision of learning, for building, and for giving our students the best opportunities.

"At this point in time, I wouldn't criticise either level of government because with the pressure they are under around budgets and COVID-19, I reckon they're doing a good job."

Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Commonwealth was continuing to put more money into schools, and that the state and territories should follow suit.

"Commonwealth funding has grown at a much faster rate than state government funding - for both government schools and non-government schools," Mr Tehan said in a statement.

"Commonwealth funding for government schools grew 55.5 per cent in real terms per student from 2008-09 to 2017-18. Over the same period, state funding grew seven per cent in real terms per student."

Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino said the state government would be providing an additional $7.2 billion for government schools above 2018 funding levels.

"We have repeatedly requested the federal government do its fair share and commit to funding the final five per cent of the schooling resource standard for government schools," Mr Merlino said in a statement.

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