Education is a priority for the ACT Government, which regards it as a public entitlement and education expenditure as an investment in the ACT's future. Investing in our children and young people is the best means of securing jobs for them and ensuring a solid future for the ACT.

The Government is committed to conducting an open inquiry into ACT education funding in particular into the needs of all ACT government and non-government schools.

Broad Policy Principles

The ACT Labor Government sees its primary responsibility in education being to provide well staffed and well equipped public schools, accessible to all children.

The critical objective is to optimise quality outcomes for all students. ACT citizens have a right to expect this.

ACT citizens are also entitled to exercise their right to obtain a non-government school education for their children.

Public funding is not infinite and the Government makes education-funding decisions in the context of overall relative priorities. The Government is committed to ensuring that available ACT education funding is distributed equitably and on the basis of greatest need.

Terms of Reference

The Inquiry is to review ACT school education funding arrangements and report and make recommendations on:

Current funding and resourcing arrangements for government and non-government schools;

A policy framework and methodology for the identification of relative needs of students;

A policy framework and options for replacing or enhancing the current funding arrangements for government and non-government schools which, inter alia, acknowledge the relative needs of students and which are financially sustainable into the future; and

Any transitional and other implications associated with proposed funding methodology options.