Since 2001, the Department has produced an annual National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training which has shown that significant progress has been made over the fifteen years of the AEP. For example, Years 3 and 5 reading and numeracy benchmark data indicates a slow, steady improvement in outcomes. Indigenous students are also being retained to Year 12 at a greater rate, and are increasingly going on to participate in vocational education and training and higher education.
Despite these improvements, unacceptable disadvantage remains. Gaps persist between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students across the education and training sectors. The Australian Government's Indigenous education and training programmes are supplementary to mainstream funding, and are intended for strategic interventions that will accelerate improvement in Indigenous student learning outcomes. Accordingly, in 2005-2008 the Australian Government will focus its activities more closely on:
- requiring education and training providers to report on how their responsibilities for Indigenous education and training are being met through funding sources other than the Act - including funding from the Schools Assistance (Learning Together - Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 and other Acts having similar purposes;
- directing Australian Government resources towards those areas that have the greatest need, particularly remote Australia where gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous student outcomes are at their widest; and
- directing Australian Government resources toward programmes and projects which have demonstrated their effectiveness in the past.
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English as a Second Language - Indigenous Language Speaking Students (ESL-ILSS)
English as a Second Language - Indigenous Language Speaking Students (ESL-ILSS) makes funding available to providers who are educating Indigenous students from a non-English speaking background undertaking their first year of formal instruction in English. Funding is a once only per capita entitlement based on eligible student numbers.
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Supplementary Recurrent Assistance (SRA)
Supplementary Recurrent Assistance (SRA) provides supplementary per capita funding to education providers across the preschool, school and vocational education and training (VET) sectors.
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Indigenous Education Projects - Capital and Non-Capital
Project funding may be approved for capital and non-capital projects which clearly demonstrate that they will advance the objects of the Act and thereby the goals of the AEP.
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Short Term Special Assistance (STSA)
Short Term Special Assistance (STSA) provides assistance to providers in short-term emergency situations which cause severe temporary financial difficulty.
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'Mixed-mode' Away-from-Base Assistance (AFB)
Away-from-Base (AFB) assistance provides funding for travel, meals and accommodation while a student (or staff member) is away from their normal place of residence as part of a 'mixed-mode' course of study. A 'mixed-mode' course is a nationally accredited course that is delivered through a combination of distance education and face-to-face teaching for students who are based in their home communities and undertake occasional intensive study periods on campus.
The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) will provide targeted tutorial assistance to Indigenous school and tertiary students. The key components are:
- In-Class Tuition
- Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 Tuition
- Remote Indigenous Students (RIS) Tuition
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) Tuition
- Tertiary Tuition.
ITAS Fact Sheet PDF 
(65.9 KB)
In-Class Tuition aims to improve the literacy and numeracy attainment of Indigenous students at key points in their schooling. Eligible students may receive up to 2.5 hours of supplementary tuition per week. School systems and non-systemic schools are eligible to apply for funding to deliver in-class tuition to Indigenous school students.
ITAS In-Class Tuition Fact Sheet PDF (85.6 KB)
Under Budget measures announced in May 2006, from the commencement of 2007, ITAS Year 10, 11 and 12 Tuition is being extended to include tuition for Year 9 students.
Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 Tuition provides supplementary tuition for Indigenous students enrolled in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12. Eligible students may receive tuition of up to 4 hours per week up to a maximum of 35 weeks per year. ITAS assistance is not available for subjects outside the student's Year 9, 10, 11 or 12 study.
ITAS Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 Fact Sheet PDF (69.5 KB)
Remote Indigenous Students (RIS) Tuition provides one year’s supplementary tuition for Indigenous school students in the first year they are away from their remote community to attend school in a non-remote location or to attend a remote boarding school.
Education providers may receive RIS Tuition funding to provide up to 4 hours tuition per week, for up to 35 weeks, in the first year that eligible students are away from their remote community.
ITAS RIS Tuition Fact Sheet PDF (73.2 KB)
Under Budget measures announced in May 2006, from the commencement of 2007, ITAS Vocational Education and Training (VET) Tuition will be available to assist Indigenous students undertaking VET courses leading to the attainment of a Certificate Level III or above qualification. Eligible students may receive up to 2 hours tuition per week for up to 34 weeks per academic year.
ITAS VET Fact Sheet PDF (75.4 KB)
Tertiary Tuition is arranged by funded education providers and provides supplementary tuition to eligible students studying university award level courses and Australian Qualifications Framework accredited vocational education and training courses at ITAS funded institutions. Tuition is available only for subjects in a student's formal education programme and is not usually available for basic literacy, numeracy, enabling and bridging courses.
ITAS forms are available at Guidelines and application forms
These packs will assist providers wishing to apply for funding under the Australian Government's Indigenous Education Programmes for 2005-2008. The Indigenous Education Programmes Provider Guidelines 2005-2008 provide further details on eligibility and should be consulted when completing these packs.
- Indigenous Education Programmes Provider Application Pack 2005 (PDF (111.8 KB, 8 pages). This pack allows providers to apply for Supplementary Recurrent Assistance (SRA) and Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) In-class Tuition and Year 10, 11 and 12 Tuition.
- 'Mixed-mode' Away-from-base Provider Application Pack 2005 (PDF 209.2kb, 3 pages). This pack allows providers to apply for 'Mixed-mode' Away-from-base funding.
Parent School Partnerships Initiative (PSPI) forms
Accessed from Guidelines and application forms