Thousands of Indigenous boarding school students across Australia are set to benefit from more than $43m in Federal Government funding, it has been announced.
The extension of the Albanese Government’s Indigenous Boarding Providers Grants Program until the end of 2026 will support 2,500 students attending more than 40 boarding schools and stand-alone boarding facilities and deliver “wrap-around supports” to improve student outcomes.
The announcement follows the Government’s Central Australia Boarding Response Fund last week offering $18m to three Alice Springs schools to upgrade or build facilities.
“This investment in boarding facilities across Australia is about supporting Indigenous school students in remote communities,” Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare said today. “It will mean supporting more students to finish school and deliver certainty for providers.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said that for many First Nations students from remote and very remote areas, boarding school is their only option to engage in education.
“This investment will provide critical support for First Nations boarding students while the government considers the outcomes of the Indigenous Boarding Design Review.”
‘A positive step, but not a long-term fix’
Independent Schools Australia (ISA), which has been lobbying for greater funding for Indigenous boarding schools for months, welcomed the announcement, but said it’s not a long-term fix.
“We need a sustainable, funding model to provide certainty for these schools and the students they serve,” ISA CEO, Graham Catt, said.
Executive Director of the Association of Independent Schools of the Northern Territory (AISNT), Cheryl Salter said uncertainly remains despite the government’s funding announcement.
“A permanent solution is needed to ensure students continue to receive the education and support they deserve,” Salter said.
“Indigenous boarding schools are vital for supporting Closing the Gap Outcome 5, which seeks to ensure that ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential.’ Long-term funding is essential to maintaining the progress made towards this goal and ensuring that students from remote communities have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.”
Catt said the focus now will be ensuring a sustainable solution for these schools.
“A permanent, recurrent funding model would not only keep schools open but would help ensure these students receive the comprehensive services they rely on, including academic instruction, cultural connection, and pastoral care,” he said.
“It’s a small price to pay for securing the futures of some of Australia’s most vulnerable students.”