ABORIGINAL EDUCATION
A very important part of ALL Cultures is the Education of the Young Ones so we will start with the very Young and hopefully work our way to the Older Generation.
PRESCHOOL
Aboriginal Children are eligible for 15 Hours of Government Preschool a week after they turn 3 years of age continuing until they start Primary School. This applies to all Government Preschools so take the time to go and speak with the Director or Principal of the Kindergarten before enrolling.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED
Schools are funded through a combination of Australian Government (Commonwealth) funding, State and Territory Government Funding, and funding from fees, charges and other parental or private contributions.
Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).
The SRS is an estimate of how much total public funding a school needs to meet its students’ educational needs. It is based on recommendations made in the 2011 Review of Funding for Schooling led by Mr David Gonski AC. It is made up of a base amount and up to 6 needs-based loadings. The SRS base amount is calculated by multiplying the number of students enrolled at the school for the year by the SRS funding amount for the school for the year.
In 2024, the base SRS funding amounts are $13,570 for primary students and $17,053 for secondary students.
State Government Funding
The State Government provides 75% of the SRS for students in public schools in South Australia.
COMMONWEALTH RECURRENT FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
The Commonwealth provides 20% of each government school’s Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).
Loadings
The SRS loadings provide additional funding for student priority cohorts and disadvantaged schools. A school’s SRS can include up to 4 student-based loadings and 2 school-based loadings.
The 4 student-based loadings are the:
• student with disability loading
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander loading (The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander loading accounts for only 1.9 per cent of Australian Government school funding in 2024.)
• socio-educational disadvantage loading
• low-English proficiency loading.
A student may attract funding under more than one loading.
The 2 school-based loadings are for:
• School size
• School location.
The loadings are so that schools with children who need extra support in the classroom receive it, ensuring as much as possible that all students receive the best possible education.
SCHOOL FEES
To assist families to meet materials and services costs, and to alleviate the cost-of-living pressure, the state government has provided a rebate of $100 per child to parents/caregivers who are liable to pay their child(s) materials and services charge for the past 3 years. The state government has also recently announced that the rebate will be increased to $200 for the 2025 school year.
In addition, the state government also supports low-income families with the cost of a materials and services charge via the School Card Scheme. To be eligible for School Card assistance, the applicant’s combined gross family income must be below relevant income limits, based on the number of children within the family.
For further information in relation to the School Card Scheme, please refer to SA.GOV.AU - School Card scheme (www.sa.gov.au). If you have any queries about eligibility for School Card, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Tim Elliott, Director EMS Finance Transition on 8226 1388.
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HIGH SCHOOL
Schools are funded through a combination of Australian Government (Commonwealth) funding, State and Territory Government Funding, and funding from fees, charges and other parental or private contributions. Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).
The SRS is an estimate of how much total public funding a school needs to meet its students’ educational needs. It is based on recommendations made in the 2011 Review of Funding for Schooling led by Mr David Gonski AC. It is made up of a base amount and up to 6 needs-based loadings. The SRS base amount is calculated by multiplying the number of students enrolled at the school for the year by the SRS funding amount for the school for the year. In 2024, the base SRS funding amounts are $13,570 for primary students and $17,053 for secondary students. State Government Funding The State Government provides 75% of the SRS for students in public schools in South Australia.
COMMONWEALTH RECURRENT FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
The Commonwealth provides 20% of each government school’s Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). Loadings The SRS loadings provide additional funding for student priority cohorts and disadvantaged schools. A school’s SRS can include up to 4 student-based loadings and 2 school-based loadings. The 4 student-based loadings are the: • student with disability loading • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander loading (The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander loading accounts for only 1.9 per cent of Australian Government school funding in 2024.) • socio-educational disadvantage loading • low-English proficiency loading. A student may attract funding under more than one loading. The 2 school-based loadings are for: • School size • School location. The loadings are so that schools with children who need extra support in the classroom receive it, ensuring as much as possible that all students receive the best possible education.
SCHOOL FEES
To assist families to meet materials and services costs, and to alleviate the cost-of-living pressure, the state government has provided a rebate of $100 per child to parents/caregivers who are liable to pay their child(s) materials and services charge for the past 3 years. The state government has also recently announced that the rebate will be increased to $200 for the 2025 school year. In addition, the state government also supports low-income families with the cost of a materials and services charge via the School Card Scheme. To be eligible for School Card assistance, the applicant’s combined gross family income must be below relevant income limits, based on the number of children within the family. For further information in relation to the School Card Scheme, please refer to SA.GOV.AU - School Card scheme (www.sa.gov.au). If you have any queries about eligibility for School Card, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Tim Elliott, Director EMS Finance Transition on 8226 1388. .
The same benefits apply to HIGH SCHOOL Students however the assistance provided by both State & Federal Government is slightly more..
Many Staff of all Schools are NOT aware of the benefits to the School of having Aboriginal & Disadvantaged Children attend, it is very useful to show the above information that came direct from the Office of the South Australian Minister for Education, Hon Blair Boyer MP & placed here with their Consent..
