Record funding for education

The Morrison Government’s plan for a stronger economy is guaranteeing essential education services through the delivery of yet another year of record funding for child care, preschools, schools
 and universities. 

In this year’s Budget, a record $21.4 billion will be provided for state schools, Catholic schools and Independent schools for the 2020 school year – an increase in funding of $8.5 billion since 2013. 

The 2019-20 Budget provides a record $8.6 billion for child care, including $8.3 billion for the Child Care Subsidy and $17.7 billion for the university sector. 

The Government is ensuring this record funding delivers a quality education from early learning through to tertiary studies. 

The Government will establish a Local School Community Fund, which will provide $200,000 to each federal electorate to support priority projects in local schools that benefit students and their communities. 

The Government will continue to fund universal access to 15 hours of preschool in the year before school by providing $453.1 million to guarantee funding through to the end of the 2020 school year and to undertake the related National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection. 

Preschool participation remains low, particularly in disadvantaged communities where children benefit most from early learning. 

The Government will provide $1.4 million over two years from 2019-20 for The Smith Family to work with state and territory governments to develop strategies on how to further lift preschool participation rates, particularly for families in regional and remote communities, including Indigenous families. 

Minister for Education Dan Tehan said our Government understood the importance of Australians receiving a quality education and the importance of being able to pay for it. 

“The Morrison Government’s economic management has delivered a stronger economy which means we can afford to invest in education,” Mr Tehan said. 

“We also understand that record investment must be matched by a plan that ensures that money leads to improvements for all Australian students and their families, that is why we will conduct a national preschool review through Education Council and introduced the Gonski reforms. 

“Our reforms to child care via the Child Care Subsidy have already led to out-of-pocket child care costs for families falling by more than 10 per cent. Our National School Reform Agreement binds the Federal 

Government and every state and territory to a series of reforms that will improve education across Australia. 

“The Morrison Government also believes that no matter where they grow up, all Australians should have access to quality education. That is why we are targeting investments in regional, rural and remote Australia – from the Destination Australia program that encourages more higher education students to study outside of the capital cities to genuine needs-based funding for every student in every school.”