Next National School Reform Agreement

The Albanese Government is committed to working with State and Territory governments to get every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level.

As a first step, Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers agreed to establish a panel of eminent Australians to inform the next National School Reform Agreement.

Students from poor families, from regional Australia and Indigenous students are less likely to go to preschool, less likely to finish high school and less likely to go to university than other Australians.

The review will focus on driving real and measurable improvements for students from disadvantaged backgrounds including regional, rural and remote Australia, First Nations students, students with disability, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

It will also improve transparency and accuracy of funding.

Future funding will be tied to reform.

The panel and their Terms of Reference will be announced next year.

To provide time for this work to occur, the current National School Reform Agreement will be extended for a further 12 months.

This is one of three major pieces of work in the Education portfolio next year.

The first is the Universities Accord. A big and broad review of the higher education system led by Professor Mary O’Kane AO. The Accord team and their Terms of Reference were announced last month.

The second is a comprehensive review of early childhood education conducted by the Productivity Commission. This work will commence in the second quarter of next year.

This is the third.

There is a common thread that runs through all three reviews.

Today children from poor families, children from regional Australia and Indigenous children, are less likely to go to preschool, less likely to finish high school and less likely to go to university than other Australians.

These three pieces of work provide an opportunity to change that. To build an education system that delivers excellence and equity.

The transition pathway for non-government schools down to 100 per cent of the SRS will be unchanged.