$8.7 MILLION FOR TUTORIAL SUPPORT FOR REMOTE INDIGENOUS STUDENTS
10 May 2005 MINBUD 38/05
The Australian Government will provide an additional $8.7 million
over the next four years to provide high quality tutorial assistance
to more than 2,000 Indigenous students who move away from their
remote community to attend school.
For some Indigenous children, their best chance for educational
success is to leave their community and attend a school in a
non-remote location. For some Indigenous children, it is the only
option they have.
This transition can however be difficult for many students.
Failure to keep pace with peers academically can be a key reason for
Indigenous students not settling into a new school or dropping out
of school early and returning to their community.
This new funding will provide tutorial support for Indigenous
students who leave their remote community to undertake schooling.
These students will receive up to four hours tuition per week for up
to 32 weeks in their first year away from home.
Between 2006 and 2008, this extra tutorial assistance will help
an estimated 2,040 students undertake and complete their schooling.
This initiative complements the Indigenous Youth Leadership
Programme, which will provide 250 boarding school and university
scholarships for Indigenous students mainly from remote areas, and
the Indigenous Youth Mobility Programme aimed at assisting young
people from remote areas to relocate to take up training and
employment opportunities.
The Australian Government places great importance on achieving
better educational outcomes for Indigenous students. It is
strategically targeting funding to maximise school performance and
to more heavily support Indigenous students of greatest disadvantage
– those from remote areas.
This Indigenous-specific education funding provided by the
Australian Government is supplementary to other mainstream funds.
Over the next four years, the Government will provide a record $2.1
billion in funding for Indigenous education – an increase of 20.5%
over the previous four-year period.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Yaron Finkelstein 0414 927 663
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
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