The 2016-17 Budget is part of the Australian Government’s plan to deliver on jobs and growth for Australia and provide greater access to education opportunities for all. The 2016-17 Budget reinforces the Department of Education and Training’s key role in delivering an education system which provides opportunities for all Australians, no matter their background or where they live.
The department’s 2016 budget measures for education include:
- Schools will receive more funding from 2018 due to the Schools Funding measure which involves indexing school funding with an education specific index rate of 3.56 per cent.
- Under the Schools Funding measure, states and territories will receive additional funding to provide Students with Disability better access to learning.
- The Early Learning Languages Australia program trial will now be extended nationally in 2017 to all preschools.
- Deferred implementation of elements of the Jobs for Families Package which require legislative changes and additional funding allocated to the measure, until July 2018.
- The Nanny Pilot Programme will now run for an extra six months, to 30 June 2018 and the maximum hourly subsidy rate will be increased to $8.50 per hour from 1 June 2016.
- Higher Education reforms will be delayed for a further 12 months and full fee deregulation will not be going ahead.
- The implementation of Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy in Australia’s universities to address the nation’s critical shortage of skills cyber security professionals.
- Australian International Education will receive an additional $12 million over four years to support the implementation of the National Strategy for International Education to grow in the sector.
- The Adult Migration English Program will be adjusted to be more flexible and innovative in service delivery, with the intention for greater participation rates and improved client outcomes.
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