Federal budget education highlights - October 2022

Schools

To address teacher shortages, $68.3 million has been allocated over five years, starting 2022–23, to expand the High Achieving Teachers program. This will support an additional 1,500 high achieving professionals to transition into teaching through employment-based pathways

There will be 5,000 bursaries of $10,000 per year for up to four years to encourage high-achieving school leavers with an ATAR of 80 or above (or equivalent), First Nations peoples and students from rural, regional, and remote areas into teaching. This will cost $56.2 million. An additional $2,000 will be available for students who complete their final year placement in a regional area.

Grants to support capital works projects for upgrades to school equipment and improve ventilation in classrooms, costing $270.8 million over two years from 2022–23.

An allocation of $203.7 million over two years from 2022–23 to help address the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on student wellbeing. Includes $10.8 million for a free voluntary mental health check tool.

The chaplaincy program is now open to non-religiously affiliated pastoral care workers and will continue at $61.4 million per year.

Respectful relationships education will be funded $83.5 million from 2022-2027 to prevent gender-based violence and keep children safe.

First Nations Languages and cultural teaching in 60 schools to be funded $14.1 million over four years, starting 2022-23.

Funding of $29.4 million a year over two years to improve First Nations attainment in the areas of school readiness and attendance; access to employment, training and further education opportunities for secondary students; workforce development and employee numbers in local communities; teacher housing in remote regions.

The government will fund a $18.2 Community Language Schools Grants program over four years from 2022-23 to help students learn a second language.

The delivery of free broadband for up to 30,000 unconnected families with school-aged students, costed at $4.7 million over three years from 2022-23.

An allocation of $6 million for the national rollout of digital literacy and safety programs by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation for three years, starting from 2023-24.

Continuation of universal access to 15 hours of preschool a week for children in the year before they start school, to cost $1.7 billion from 2022-2026.

TAFE

Funding for 480,000 fee-free TAFE and vocational education places.

An allocation of $550 million this year as part of the 12-month interim national Skills Agreement. This will include 180,000 fee-free TAFE and vocational education places in 2023 in areas of highest skills need and for targeted priority groups including First Nations people. Includes $50 million over two years from 2022-23 for a TAFE technology fund for modernisation of IT infrastructure, workshops, labs, telehealth simulators at TAFE colleges across the nation.

Another $336 million has been allocated over three years from 2024 for continuing fee-free TAFE.

Support targeted to priority groups, including First Nations people and priority areas, including care sectors.

Vocational education and training will be supported by a new longer-term National Skills Agreement from 2024.

View the AEU media statement here.