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Media Release
INJECTING VITAL FUNDING INTO SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
16 February 2006
Today I have introduced legislation into Parliament that will provide increased Australian Government funding to meet the immediate needs of school communities throughout the nation.
The Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Amendment Bill 2006 contains measures that will enable more funding in 2006 to benefit our schools and students.
First, following the overwhelming and positive response to the Investing in Our Schools Programme (IOSP), over $186 million for small scale infrastructure projects in State Government schools is being brought forward from 2008 to 2006. More than 8,000 funding requests were received in 2005 from State Government schools and already more than 2,600 schools have been successful in receiving funds from the Australian Government.
The increased funds available this year can be used for projects such as air-conditioning, shade structures, musical and sporting equipment.
Secondly, this new Bill also ensures that all non-government schools catering primarily for students with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties who are at risk of leaving mainstream schooling will receive maximum general recurrent grant funding from the Government.
The Government is also providing further literacy assistance in 2006. The Tutorial Voucher Initiative was an innovative pilot conducted in 2005. A tutorial voucher valued at up to $700 was available for children who were below the Year 3 national reading benchmark in 2003. Unspent funding from the pilot programme will be made available in 2006 to provide literacy assistance for students who most need extra support.
The Australian Government intends that children in Victoria and Queensland who were unable to get help with their reading under this pilot are able to do so. During the pilot, both State Governments failed to contact eligible parents in a timely way about the pilot. Many eligible parents and their children missed out on getting any reading assistance. With this measure, the Australian Government aims to help those parents and their children in Victoria and Queensland.
Media Contact:
Ms Bishop’s Office: Sarah Casey 02 6277 7460
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