Tony Abbott says he'll be seeking a "fair go for low-fee private schools" when the Turnbull government's schools plan is put to the coalition party room next week.
The former prime minister met with the National Catholic Education Commission on Thursday, just days after Malcolm Turnbull unveiled his "Gonski 2.0" plan.
"Good talk with Tim McDonald of the National Catholic Education Commission about the importance of a fair go for low fee private schools," Mr Abbott tweeted.
"Also talked about importance of good teachers, high standards, principal autonomy and parental involvement: the keys to a good education."
Twenty-four non-government schools are slated to have their government funding cut, while a further 350 will see their funding growth slowed, but 9000 across all sectors will get a 75 per cent boost over 10 years.
Liberal MP Craig Kelly said the cuts, which will apply to some of the wealthiest schools in the country, had the potential to "cloud" what was a positive message.
Mr Abbott visited the Mandurah Catholic College, south of Perth, on Thursday as Education Minister Simon Birmingham was being quizzed by reporters in Canberra about the feeling on the coalition backbench about the government's plan.
Coalition MPs will meet in Canberra next week, for the first time in five weeks, to consider the policy announcement and legislation which locks in the new federal funding formula.
Mr Abbott expects the policy to be "vigorously debated".
Senator Birmingham said coalition MPs understood the fairness of the proposal.
"When I have spoken to any of my colleagues about the different transition arrangements that we are putting in place and how they apply, they have come to all understand and appreciate the fairness," he said.
Every school sector, including the Catholic school system, would receive real growth in funding above inflation, wages and other measures.
Mr Abbott, whose 2014 budget advocated a $30 billion saving in proposed schools funding over a decade, described the Turnbull government's plan as a "very big change in policy".
He questioned whether it would undermine parental choice in schools - a central tenet of conservative politics.
Senator Birmingham said parental choice was at the "heart" of the proposed model.
"Low-fee schools in the non-government sector will be clear winners out of the reforms that we are proposing and that will only help to empower, embold and enable greater choice."
