EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training
Subject: - Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004
Amendment No. 1 to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) (SES Scores Guidelines) Approval 2000
Authority for making the instrument
The Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 (the Act) provides, among other things, for the Commonwealth to give financial support to eligible non-government schools and the eligible students attending them.
Section 8 of the Act provides that the Minister may:
- approve guidelines for calculating a school SES score for the purposes of the Act; and
- determine an SES Score for a school in accordance with these guidelines.
Background
Part 6, Division 2 of the Act outlines the type of funding arrangements applicable for general recurrent expenditure of non-government schools which require the calculation of an SES score.
Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools currently have an automatic entitlement to maximum funding of 70 per cent of Average Government Schools Recurrent Costs (AGSRC) under the Act and previously did not require the calculation of an SES score to determine their funding entitlements.
The Act was amended on 28 June 2007 to provide for additional funding to non‑government schools in regional and remote areas of Australia in recognition of the higher cost of delivering schooling in these areas. Non-government schools and campuses that are located within areas with a remoteness classification of ‘Moderately Accessible’, ‘Remote’ or ‘Very Remote’, as determined by the Remoteness Structure under the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Australian Standard Geographical Classification, will receive an additional funding loading for each student at those locations of 5 per cent, 10 per cent or 20 per cent respectively of their SES score entitlement.
Explanation of Provisions
The purpose of this instrument is to amend the current guidelines for calculating a school SES score to insert a new Paragraph 6 to provide Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools with an SES score that has an associated funding level of 70 per cent of AGSRC.
The effect of this amendment is that non-government Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools may now access the additional regional and remote loading to their funding if they meet all other criteria.
This instrument also amends the guidelines to update a hyperlink to the website for the document Funding Arrangements for Non-Government Schools 2001 – 2004: SES Dimension Scores for Census Collection Districts (CDs) based on the SES Index for General Recurrent Grants Funding published by the Department of Education, Science and Training. The link is contained in a note to the definition of SES dimension score at Paragraph 2.
Commencement
This instrument shall come into effect on 1 January 2008 with the commencement of the regional and remote loading initiative.
Consultation
The regional and remote loading initiative was a Budget measure which provides a benefit to all eligible schools. Public and stakeholder consultation was therefore not considered necessary.
Business Cost Calculator
This amendment does not require a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) or a Business Cost Calculator Figure. This amendment is not regulatory in nature, will not impact on business activity and will have no compliance costs or competition impact.