Landmark agreement signed to fully fund Northern Territory schools and invest in key reforms

All Northern Territory schools will be fully and fairly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory Governments following a historic bilaterial agreement signed today.  

Both Governments have signed a bilateral agreement, to increase funding for all schools in the Northern Territory to 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2029.

The Northern Territory has signed today the new national Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA).

Today’s bilateral agreement formalises the Statement of Intent, signed by both Governments earlier this year.

This means Northern Territory public schools will reach the full and fair funding level two decades earlier than they would under current settings.

Under the agreement, the Australian Government will invest an additional estimated $736.7 million from 2025 to 2029 in Northern Territory public schools.

The Northern Territory Government has committed to investing an additional estimated $350 million over the same period.

On average, every NT student in our public schools will be $33,764 better off and every non-government school student $7,596 better off over the lifetime of the agreement.

Through the Commonwealth’s A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia initiative, all 44 operating schools in Central Australia received their full and fair funding for the first time in 2024 under the $40 million On-Country Learning measure. In signing up to the BFSA, the Northern Territory will maintain funding to Central Australian schools going forward.

Funding will be tied to reforms in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, including:

•    Year 1 phonics check and early years of schooling numeracy check to identify students who need additional help.

•    Evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind. 
         
•    Greater wellbeing support for learning and engagement, including through student wellbeing officers and multi-disciplinary teams providing services within schools.

•    Initiatives that help attract and retain teachers and school leaders, including rewarding and recognising experienced teachers to work in schools which need additional support.

•    Providing access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning for teachers and school leaders and providing quality-assured curriculum resources that have been developed in partnership with the teaching profession.

•    Implementing the recommendations of the Northern Territory Government’s Review of Effective Enrolment to make the funding methodology for NT schools fairer.

•    Implementing the recommendations of the Review of Secondary Education in the Northern Territory to improve access to secondary education in remote and very remote communities.

The bilateral agreement with the NT also includes the following key targets by 2030:

•    Increasing the NT’s overall student attendance rate to 79.7 per cent.

•    Increasing the proportion of students in the Strong and Exceeding NAPLAN proficiency levels for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent.

•    Increasing employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in our schools.

•    Increasing the proportion of students with year 12 (or equivalent) certification by 7.5 percentage points.

The Northern Territory bilateral agreement can be accessed here. The BFSA Heads of Agreement can be accessed here.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“This is a historic day for public education in the Northern Territory and a great example of the Commonwealth working with the Northern Territory to build a better and fairer education system.

“At the moment, public schools here in the Northern Territory are funded at less than 80 per cent of the original Gonski model.

“In other words, one in five kids are not receiving funding. This agreement fixes that.

“This agreement doubles the investment the Commonwealth makes in Northern Territory public schools.

“This agreement means the most underfunded schools in Australia will now be fully funded.

“Under current settings, Northern Territory public schools weren’t expected to receive their full funding until the middle of the century. This fixes that and brings it forward by more than 20 years.

“This is what the Albanese Government means when we say no one held back and no one left behind.”

Quotes attributable to Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler:

“I’m focused on getting Territory students work ready, with the skills they need to get a job and start their careers.”

“This agreement to fully fund Territory schools means students in public schools are going to be, on average, $33,000 better off – and that extra investment will improve schools outcomes for Territory kids.

“This funding boost means more resources where they are needed including extra teachers, better infrastructure and additional support to students who need it most.”

Quotes attributable to Northern Territory Minister for Education Mark Monaghan:

“This landmark agreement by both the Albanese and Lawler Governments will make a huge and immediate difference in our schools.

“Under Labor no Territory child will be left behind. Significant additional funding will go to our most disadvantaged schools so they can best respond to the needs of their students.

“The Lawler Labor Government is opening a new era of opportunities for Territory children.”