Greens query Brethren school's funding

The government should investigate whether Exclusive Brethren schools have broken the law by setting up a tyre franchise, the Greens say.

The franchise could be in breach of federal regulations requiring private schools to be non profit entities to receive funding, Greens leader Bob Brown said.

Fairfax newspapers reported that schools run by the secretive sect have set up a chain of wholesale outlets in four states that import tyres from Thailand.

Yet Exclusive Brethren schools receive tens of thousand dollars in government building grants on top of $6.6 million in recurrent federal funding.