Education and the 2018 Federal Budget

From the National Schools Chaplaincy Program to the Quality Schools Package, we look into the proposed budget funding initiatives for schools and education.

  • 5 June 2018

    Australian taxpayers have had their collective fingers crossed for tax cuts for quite some time. Consequently, most of the post-budget talk has focused on our shifting tax brackets. So it’s understandable that the proposed budget funding initiatives for schools and education have been largely overlooked.

    In case you’ve had trouble sorting the wheat from the chaff, here’s a list of proposed changes.

    The National Schools Chaplaincy Program (NSCP)

    The NSCP was first introduced in 2015 and was intended to run for four years. Its aim was to provide strategies to support the emotional well-being of students, and the broader school community, through pastoral care services.

    Under its original structure, the NSCP was scheduled to end this year, but as was announced as part of the Budget, an injection of $247 million will see the program become a permanent fixture.

    Child Care Subsidy

    Early childhood reform was announced in late 2017 and is planned to commence on 2 July 2018. It involves a new Child Care Subsidy that will replace two existing child care assistance payments.

    Subsidised child care packages are undergoing review and most families will be required to complete an assessment. To see if your family will be affected, go to the Department of Education’s website.

    Early Learning Languages Australia

    A total of $11.8 million is being allocated to continue the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program in preschools, and will also be rolled out in schools for students from Foundation to Year 2 in 2019–20.

    Quality Schools Package

    The Quality Schools Package provides funding for all schools—both government and non-government—with the aim of ensuring that every Australian student has access to the support and opportunities to achieve their best. In response to a review conducted by the Department of Education and Training in April 2018, the Quality Schools Package will be boosted with a total investment of $243 billion spread over 9 years (2018–27).

    Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education

    Country and regional higher education institutions haven’t been left out.

    In 2017, the Australian Government commissioned Emeritus Professor John Halsey from Flinders University to conduct the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education. The review was initiated to improve the education of country students.

    As part of the recent budget announcements, and a direct result of the review, the government proposes to invest a total of $42 million to increase opportunities for students in, or relocating to, regional areas to further their education.

    The government has also committed to establishing and maintaining up to eight study hubs across regional Australia.

    Overall, it seems that most of the proposed education budget has been allocated to expanding or continuing existing education initiatives, but its focus is on the future—and that’s what education is all about.

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