The Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee is investigating the bill that provides the framework for school funding for the next 10 years: The Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 [Provisions]. This bill authorises the Heads of Agreement that the Commonwealth is seeking to sign with the States and Territories.

ACTA’s submission points out that nothing is in the Agreement to support effective provision for English language learners. At the time the submission was made, only Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have signed an Agreement with the Commonwealth. The NT Agreement has been used to end targetted funding for the nine remaining bilingual programs (already underfunded), Homeland Schools and School Engagement Officers. This move is in line with developments across all jurisdictions where use of EAL/D funding is left up to school principals who must deal with competing claims on their budgets. It has seen the decimiation of EAL/D provision across Australia.

To support ACTA advocacy and its many submissions, please join ATESOL ACT – part of your subscription goes to support ACTA.

To read submissions to the Inquiry from many different bodies, go to Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 [Provisions] – Parliament of Australia The ACTA submission is no. 59. You can also read it here.