The Federal Government has given a two-month deadline for the States and Territories to sign up to student learning and wellbeing reforms or lose billions in extra funding.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said that from today, the Northern Territory has become the first jurisdiction to sign the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA), with Western Australia expected to soon follow.
This means NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia now have until September to accept a 2.5% federal increase in Commonwealth funding by 2029 or forego $16bn of additional investment for their public schools.
The BFSA sets a target for participating jurisdictions that by 2030, the proportion of students leaving school with a Year 12 certificate will increase to 83.8% (by 2030), from 76.3% in 2022 – the highest rate of Year 12 certification ever achieved.
Other targets include lifting student attendance, NAPLAN outcomes, the engagement rate of initial teacher education students, and graduation rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“I have made clear that the additional $16 billion of funding for public schools the Government has put on the table will be tied to reforms. These are the reforms – reforms that will help kids catch up, keep up and finish school,” Clare said in a statement today.
“Practical things like phonics checks and numeracy checks, evidenced-based teaching and catch-up tutoring, to identify kids who need additional support and make sure they get it.”
Minister Clare pointed out that “there are no blank cheques”, adding that the money invested should “make a difference to the kids who really need it.”
“That means tying that funding to the sort of things will help more kids catch up, keep up and finish school.”