The System - Current Federal Policies
Federal Government links new education policies to productivity, growth, long-term prosperity.
Funding levels to non-government schools retained.
Socio-Economic System (SES) funding model retailed.
Recurrent grants remain indexed to the Average Government. Schools Recurrent Costs (AGSRC).
Early childhood education transferred to Commonwealth.
Programs to increase Maths and Science teachers.
National curriculum by 2010.
National benchmark testing for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
National Action Plan on Literacy and Numeracy.
Increased capital funding for trades training at secondary schools.
$1 billion dollars for all secondary students to have access to their own computers.
Individual learning plans for Indigenous students.
When the Federal Australian Labor Party was elected in 2007, it brought with it new education policies linking education to “productivity growth and Australia’s long-term prosperity”.
It advocates: increased government spending on education, including targeted funding of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in schools; increasing participation rates in early childhood education; improvement in retention rates in secondary schooling; improved educational outcomes in maths, science and literacy; measures to address skills shortages; increased public investment in tertiary education; and increased investment in research infrastructure.
Federal Government policy is not to cut funding to non-government schools. The Government plans to retain the SES model for the 2009-12 quadrennium and continue to index general recurrent grants to the Average Government School Recurrent Costs (AGSRC).
Early childhood education
Legislation of a federal Early Childhood Education Act to give a universal right of access to early play-based learning and development programs for four-year-olds delivered by both public and private providers.
Programs funded for 15 hours per week.
1,500 new, fully-funded places in early childhood education.
Development of Early Years Learning Framework.
Responsibility for early childhood education transferred to Commonwealth Department of Education.
Maths and Science
Young Australians encouraged to study Maths and Science at university by reducing HECS contributions and halving HECS repayments if graduates move into relevant occupations, particularly teaching.
The number of qualified teachers in Maths and Science to be increased by enhancing the skills of current Maths and Science teachers.
Suitably qualified professionals encouraged to make a career change to Maths and Science teaching.
National curriculum
A National Curriculum Board will be established to develop and implement, by 2010, a national K-12 curriculum in the policy areas of Math, Science, English and History.
To be implemented through mutual agreement of key stakeholders.
Non-government sector to be represented on the National Curriculum Board.
Shared infrastructure
Collaboration encouraged among government, Catholic and independent schools to share “state of the art” infrastructure, facilities and resources.
Capital funding of $62.5 million to be provided for an estimated 25 pilot projects.
Literacy and numeracy
A National Action Plan on Literacy and Numeracy targeting schools, teacher training and individual student support to be developed in partnership with government, Catholic and independent school sectors.
Funding for the current Literacy, Numeracy and Special Learning needs program to be continued.
The current Reading Assistance Voucher Program to be reviewed.
Support for national Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 benchmark testing and publication of results at school level.
Vocational Education and Training
Focus on school retention.
Capital funding of $0.5 million to $1.5 million for individual secondary schools, irrespective of sector, for “trades training centres”.
Up to $10,000 for individual schools to broker on-the-job training or work experience for students in Years 9 to 12.
Established Australian Training centres will be maintained.
Job Ready Certificate for school leavers.
Independent statutory body, Skills Australia, will be established to advise government on skills needs and priorities.
$5 million to train retirees as volunteer mentors for students studying trades.
Schools funding
SES system will be retained for 2009-12 quadrennium, with a public review early during this period.
Current indexation arrangements of general recurrent funding will be maintained.
$16 million of additional general recurrent funding for Orthodox Jewish day schools over the next four years.
Education Tax Refund
Families who receive Family Tax Benefit (Part A) will be eligible for a 50 per cent tax refund on specified expenses up to $750 per year for each child in primary school and up to $1,500 for each child in secondary school.
Digital Schools
All schools will be provided with ‘fibre to the premises’ or best available broadband connections to enable connection speeds of up to 100Mb.
$1 billion will be provided through a National Secondary Schools Computer Fund over four years to enable all students in Years 9 to 12 to have access to their own school computer.
Schools in all sectors will be able to apply for capital grants of up to $1 million to acquire new or upgrade existing infrastructure (grants will depend on the number of students enrolled and existing ITC capacity, and will be conditional on the use of internet filtering technology).
Schools can reapply for grants every three years to update and upgrade their equipment.
The proposed National Curriculum Board will develop core material that will be available to all schools on-line and will develop dedicated on-line curriculum applications for Board subjects.
Language conferencing and on-line classes will be available to assist in language learning.
Educational accountability
Support for student reports expressed in A to E gradings, and for publication of literacy and numeracy benchmark tests results at school level.
Other
Individual learning plans for Indigenous students.
$29.5 million for three new boarding colleges for Indigenous students in the Northern Territory.
$68.6 million for a National Asian Language and Studies in Schools program.
$20 million for special security needs for schools deemed to be at risk.
Up to $20,000 for each school for solar panels and up to $30,000 for energy and water efficiency improvements.
Original Author: Libby Harkness- 2008/09
Last Update 30th Sept 2009: ASI Editorial Team
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