The historic agreement between the Queensland and Federal governments represents the largest funding injection for Queensland state schools. Photo: Queensland Department of Education.
The Federal Labor Government has finalised an agreement with the Queensland LNP Government to fund all Queensland state schools fairly.
The Labor Government initiative to fully fund state schools goes all the way back to the Gonski review, and the recent announcement from the Queensland Government means that every state and territory has agreed to the plan.
The Commonwealth will provide an additional 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to Queensland, bringing its SRS contribution to 25 per cent.
The commitment amounts to $2.8 billion in additional federal funding to Queensland state schools over the next decade. This represents the largest-ever injection of money for Queensland’s state-run schools.
“Building Australia’s future means investing in the next generation,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“That’s why every dollar of this funding will go into helping children learn and participate in school.
“We know that education opens the doors of opportunity, and we want to widen them for every child in Australia.”
The agreement also includes the proviso that the Queensland Government will remove the provision giving it the ability to claim 4 per cent of state school funds for indirect school costs and replace it with 4 per cent of recurrent funding on eligible costs.
Federal funding in the agreement will be tied to reforms needed to lift standards in schooling across the country, including greater individualised support, evidence-based teaching and better mental health support.
The agreement will be followed by Queensland Government initiatives aimed at educators, specifically regarding teacher attraction and retention and the reduction of workloads.
Other targets within the reform include increasing the proportion of students finishing high school, broadly improving NAPLAN results, increasing the national student attendance rate to 91.4 per cent by 2030 and boosting the engagement rate of initial teacher education students to 69.7 per cent in the next decade.
“We’re proud to have secured the biggest funding boost ever delivered to Queensland state schools, because that’s what our children deserve,” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.
“This funding will raise the bar in classrooms across Queensland, giving our students a world-class education and the support needed to succeed.
“We are backing our schools and teachers so they can boost participation rates and unlock our kids’ full potential.”
