Canberra
New data released today confirms overall funding for every school sector in the Northern Territory will increase every year under the Gillard Government's National Plan for School Improvement.
Government schools in the Territory will receive a boost of around $205 million, while non-government schools will benefit from around an extra $95 million in funding over the next six years.
The data is based on the $300 million of extra funding on offer to Northern Territory schools under Labor's plan, provided the Giles Government signs up to the National Plan for better schools.
If Adam Giles signs up to the offer, schools in the Territory will benefit from around an additional $200 million in Commonwealth funding over the next six years.
Under the plan every school will see its funding rise year-on-year, with the biggest increases going to the schools that need it most.
Labor's National Plan for School Improvement will deliver:
* More one on one attention and support in the classroom for every child.
* Specialist literacy and numeracy programs for those children in danger of being left behind.
* Greater assistance for those students with disability or special need.
* Building the skills and knowledge of teachers and providing mentoring support for those who are new to the profession.
The National Plan will particularly help Indigenous students in the Territory, through specific funding ‘loadings'for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and small, remote schools.
From the total public funding provided to Territory schools over the next six years:
* The location loading will provide about $921 million for NT students - benefiting 41,000 students in every schools (190 schools in total)
* The size loading will provide about $160 million for NT students - benefiting 25,000 students in 162 schools (85 per cent of all schools).
* The Indigenous loadingwill provide about $1 billion for Indigenous students in the NT - benefiting about 16,800 students in 187 schools (98 per cent of all schools)
Results from the 2012 NAPLAN assessments show that across all year levels, on average, Indigenous students are behind other students. In the Northern Territory, the gap is equivalent to around four years.
It's time for Chief Minister Adam Giles and Education Minister Peter Chandler to put the students of the Territory first and signed up to the National Plan for School Improvement.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver the biggest investment in schools in generations.
With 11 days to go the choice is clear. They can walk away from the offer and short-change students, or they can sign up to the new fairer funding system which will benefit every sector and every school in the Northern Territory.
The table below shows extra funding, per sector, under the Prime Minister's offer to the Northern Territory:
Additional funding for Northern Territory schools under the National Plan for School Improvement
$ millions
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
TOTAL
Government Schools
8
17
27
38
51
65
205
Catholic Schools
2
5
7
10
13
16
53
Independent Schools
2
4
6
8
10
12
41
TOTAL
12
26
40
56
73
92
300