Learning together - achievement through choice and opportunity: Australian Government funding for schools for the 2005-2008 Quadrennium, discussion paper

Every four years the Australian Government enacts legislation to appropriate funds for both school and Indigenous education programmes over a four year quadrennium.  New legislation will be introduced into Parliament during 2004 which will provide funding for the period 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2008.  As part of this process, new quadrennium funding agreements for 2005-2008 will also need to be negotiated with States, Territories and non-government education authorities. 

This consultation paper details important aspects of the new quadrennium schools package.  It covers Australian Government policy and global funding for schools, as well as a performance framework and strengthened accountability and reporting provisions.  It highlights Australian Government Programmes 2005-2008, such as:

• General Recurrent Grant arrangements for government schools and non-government schools;
• Short Term Emergency Assistance;
• Establishment Grants;
• Capital Grants for government and non-government schools;
• Targeted programmes;
• Literacy, Numeracy and Special Needs Programmes;
• Country Area Programmes;
• Languages Programmes; and
• English as a Second Language - New Arrivals Programme.

The Department of Education, Science and Training will undertake face-to-face consultations with stakeholders during April 2004 to help inform the shape of the new quadrennium legislation, which is expected to be introduced after the Budget in May 2004.  Further consultations on the funding agreements and administrative guidelines will be undertaken later in the year.

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