David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Public schools in the ACT will receive more Commonwealth funding following a landmark agreement signed by the Albanese and ACT Labor governments today. I was pleased to join with the federal and ACT ministers for education at the Evelyn Scott School in Denman Prospect today to make this announcement and recognise the benefits that will flow to ACT students for many years to come.

The new agreement ties additional Commonwealth funding to practical reforms which will help ACT students to catch up, keep up and finish school. It also commits the Australian government to increasing its funding to ACT public schools. The Commonwealth will contribute an extra $110.5 million to ACT public schools from 2025 to 2029, with more than $1 billion in total funding being provided to ACT public schools across the five years.

The Australian government's funding increase is conditional on the ACT maintaining its funding share for public schools—something it already does. The new agreement includes practical things like year 1 phonics checks, early-years-of-schooling numeracy checks, evidence based teaching and catch-up tutoring to identify kids who need additional support and to make sure that they get it.

This new agreement is proof positive of the benefits of governments at a national and territory level working together and of the importance of education to this government.