Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 [Provisions]

The Australian Government response to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee (the Committee) inquiry and report on Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 [Provisions] is now available.

The response to the Committee’s report has been coordinated by the Department of Education. The Committee’s report was tabled on 18 November 2024. The Government accepts the Committee’s recommendation that the Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 be passed and agrees in principle to all recommendations contained in the Australian Green’s dissenting report. Note the Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Act 2024 was passed by Parliament on 26 November 2024 and received Royal Assent on 29 November 2024.

Further, it is noted that the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025-2034 – Full and Fair Funding (the Full and Fair Funding Agreement) provides an additional 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) for public schools, lifting the Australian Government’s contribution from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the SRS by no later than 2034. It also notes that the Full and Fair Funding Agreement removes the ability of states and territories to continue to claim the 4 per cent provision for indirect school expenditure, and that it includes National Enabling Initiatives, one of which is that parties have agreed to conduct a review of the SRS base and loading calculation methodology.

More information on The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (2025-2034).