Amendment No. 1 to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) (SES Scores Guidelines) Approval 2000

Overview

The Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 was enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament to provide financial support to eligible non-government schools and their students. This Act addresses the gap in educational funding for non-government schools, particularly those in regional and remote areas, which previously did not require the calculation of a Socio-Economic Status (SES) score to determine their funding entitlements. Section 8 of the Act allows the Minister for Education, Science and Training to approve guidelines for calculating a school SES score and determine an SES Score for a school in accordance with these guidelines. The 2007 amendment introduced an additional funding loading for non-government schools in remote areas, recognising the higher cost of delivering education in these regions. The amendment to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) (SES Scores Guidelines) Approval 2000 seeks to insert a new paragraph providing Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools with an SES score that has an associated funding level of 70 per cent of Average Government Schools Recurrent Costs (AGSRC). This allows these schools to access the additional regional and remote loading to their funding if they meet other criteria. The amendment also updates 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. The purpose of these changes is to provide clarity and ensure consistency in the application of SES scores and funding arrangements for non-government schools.

Scope and Application

The Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 applies to eligible non-government schools and students, aiming to provide financial support to these institutions. The Act allows the Minister to approve guidelines for calculating a school Socio-Educational Status (SES) score, which is pivotal for determining funding levels. This Act’s jurisdiction spans the Commonwealth of Australia, extending its reach to eligible non-government schools across the nation. Notably, the Act was amended in 2007 to include additional funding provisions for schools in regional and remote areas, recognising the elevated costs associated with delivering education in such locations. This amendment ensures that Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools, previously exempt from SES score calculations, can now access additional funding, including regional and remote loadings if they meet the criteria. The amendment also updates the guidelines to reflect these changes and provides a new hyperlink for reference to the SES Index for General Recurrent Grants Funding. The instrument took effect on 1 January 2008, coinciding with the commencement of the regional and remote loading initiative.

Key Provisions

The Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 (the Act) includes provisions for the Commonwealth to financially support eligible non-government schools and the students attending them. Section 8 of the Act allows the Minister to approve guidelines for calculating a school’s Socio-Economic Status (SES) score, and to determine an SES score for a school in accordance with these guidelines. The Act also includes funding arrangements for general recurrent expenditure of non-government schools that require the calculation of an SES score. Under the Act, Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools previously had an automatic entitlement to maximum funding of 70 per cent of Average Government Schools Recurrent Costs (AGSRC) without needing to calculate an SES score. However, the Act was amended on 28 June 2007 to provide 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. The amendment introduced a regional and remote loading of 5 per cent, 10 per cent, or 20 per cent of their SES score entitlement for schools and campuses located in areas classified as ‘Moderately Accessible’, ‘Remote’ or ‘Very Remote’ respectively. The Amendment No. 1 to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) (SES Scores Guidelines) Approval 2000, issued under the authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training, further modifies the guidelines to include a new paragraph for Special Assistance Schools and Special Schools. This amendment provides these schools with an SES score that has an associated funding level of 70 per cent of AGSRC, enabling them to access the additional regional and remote loading to their funding if they meet all other criteria. Additionally, the amendment updates 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 Amendment No. 1 to the SES Scores Guidelines does not impose new obligations or requirements on the parties it governs, as it is primarily focused on modifying existing guidelines. However, the Act imposes obligations on the Minister to approve guidelines for calculating a school SES score and to determine an SES score for a school in accordance with these guidelines. The Act also imposes an obligation on eligible non-government schools to meet the criteria for receiving the additional regional and remote funding loading. The Amendment No. 1 to the SES Scores Guidelines does not introduce any new offences, penalties, or consequences for breach. However, non-compliance with the Act’s provisions, such as failing to provide accurate information for calculating a school SES score, could result in civil or criminal penalties as outlined in the Act. The maximum penalties for offences under the Act depend on the specific offence and can range from fines to imprisonment. The Act also provides for the recovery of payments made under the Act if they were made in error or were not properly due.