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Media Centre
Media Release
Education, science and training –– investing in our young people
9 May 2006 BUD 01/06
The Education, Science and Training portfolio will receive funding of
$21.7 billion from the Government to support a range of initiatives that
will help secure Australia’s future economic strength and social wellbeing
by investing in our people and our infrastructure.
HIGHER EDUCATION
An increase in funding for higher education of more than $559.6 million
over five years from 2005-06 will build on the Australian Government’s
commitment of $11 billion additional funding for the sector over ten years
through the Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future package.
New funding of $219.3 million over four years will provide for an
extra 400 medical, 1,000 nursing, 420 mental health and 200 clinical
psychology Commonwealth supported places. Funding to support nurse
clinical training will increase from 1 January 2007, from $688 to $1,000
(in 2006 prices) for every Commonwealth supported full time equivalent
nursing unit of study. This funding forms part of the Government’s
contribution to the Council of Australian Governments’ Health Workforce
and Mental Health packages;
Base funding for the Capital Development Pool will be increased by 50
per cent at a cost of $95.5 million over four years providing vital
assistance for universities to undertake new infrastructure projects;
FEE-HELP for full fee paying higher education
students enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate studies in both
public and private higher education sectors will be increased. The current
limit of $50,950 will be increased to a maximum of $80,000 for all courses
except medicine, veterinary science and dentistry, which will attract a
maximum FEE-HELP loan of $100,000. These increases will apply from 1
January 2007 to all eligible students, regardless of when they commenced
their studies;
Deakin University will receive capital funding of $18 million for its
new medical school in Geelong and Monash University will receive $5
million for a new branch of its medical school in Gippsland, subject to
matching commitments from the Victorian Government;
Australian National University in Canberra will receive capital
funding of $125 million;
The University of Wollongong will receive $12 million in capital
funding for a global centre of excellence in transnational crime
prevention;
Bond University will receive $4.5 million towards the cost of
constructing its medical school;
An $81.6 million transition fund was announced last December following
the passage of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of
Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005;
To encourage and support small businesses to establish services for
students in regional campuses, the Government will provide $10 million
over four years.
SCHOOLS
More than 3.3 million primary and secondary students from over 9,600
schools and school communities will benefit from $9.3 billion in schools
funding.
This Budget includes:
$22.9 million over four years, bringing the total commitment for the
new Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Innovation to Support
National Consistency initiative to $34.8 million;
Additional funding of $40.8 million over fours years for the English
as a Second Language – New Arrivals (ESL) programme;
$20.6 million over two years for the Reading Assistance Voucher
programme;
$10.7 million over four years for a new Parliament and Civics
Education Rebate (PACER), bringing the total commitment to $16.3 million
as part of the Government’s Civics and Citizenship national priority;
$5.8 million over two years for a pilot study to examine current
funding arrangements for students with disabilities and ways to maximise
portability of funding to support parental choice.
INDIGENOUS
This Budget builds on the Howard Government’s commitment to improving
opportunities for Indigenous students in pre-school, schooling, training and
higher education with funding of $88.2 million.
The 2006-07 Budget will provide funding for the following:
$19.6 million for 20 school-based sporting academies and related
strategies;
An additional $15.6 million over two calendar/school years to provide
tutorial assistance for Year 9 Indigenous students;
An extension of Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme to Indigenous
Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), at a cost of $21.8 million over
four years;
Funding of $16.1 million over the next four years for the Community
Festivals for Education Engagement and Drug Prevention programme;
Funding of $10 million to help build a community managed boarding
college on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory;
$5.1 million for education programs to help up to 1,000 young
Indigenous people involved in petrol sniffing and substance abuse in the
central desert and other remote regions.
From 1 July 2007, the Government will limit to four years the amount of
time a student is eligible to receive the ABSTUDY Living Allowance or
Pensioner Education Supplement while undertaking AQF Certificate I and II
courses. By limiting time spent on lower level courses, this measure
encourages participation at higher levels of study for students receiving
ABSTUDY Living Allowance or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement.
The Government will also strengthen the arrangements for the payment of
the ABSTUDY School Term Allowance for Indigenous students under 16 years of
age, linking it to school attendance.
TRANSITIONS
$94.4 million is also being provided to help at risk young people make
the transition through school to further education, training or the
workforce.
Young Australians living with a mental illness, such as depression, will
now have access to more support to sustain them in the education sector by
enhancement of the Youth Pathways programme as part of the Australian
Government’s commitment to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG)
Health package.
The Budget will provide:
Funding of $59.5 million over the next five years to assist a further
38,250 young people, including those with a mental illness to remain
engaged in education;
Funding of $34.9 million over four years for the Partnership Outreach
Education Model (POEM) to assist around 12,000 young people to re-engage
with education and training after dropping out of school.
TRAINING
The Budget provides:
An additional $106.7 million over four years for New Apprenticeships
Centres;
An extra $6 million in 2005-06 to fund the National Skill Shortages
Strategy;
$10.6 million over four years to extend incentives for employers of
higher level New Apprentices in key growth areas;
$10 million for the Australian Lifesaver Training Academy to provide
high quality training and education programmes;
Funding for the continuation of the Disability Coordination Officer
Programme.
This Budget also provides funding of $53.5 million over four years for
DEST to support national reforms agreed through COAG.
For media releases relating to individual training measures please go
to Minister Gary Hardgrave's Media Centre at
http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/hardgrave/main.asp
RESEARCH
$3 million funding in 2006-07 to finalise development of the Research
Quality Framework model;
$1.5 million per annum additional funding for Australian scientists
undertaking collaborative research projects with China.
QUESTACON
$15.3 million over four years for capital works, exhibition
refurbishment and additional staffing.
For media releases relating to individual measures please go to
Minister Bishop's Media Centre at
http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/bishop/
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Media Contacts |
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| Minister Bishop’s Office: |
Murray Hansen |
0417 886 155 |
| Dept of Education, Science & Training: |
Virginia Cook |
0412 971 323 |
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