That ICPA (Aust) advocate to the Federal Government to add an additional loading category to the School Resourcing Standard for Geographic Isolated students.
Education funding from the Federal Government to the States is calculated by the School Resource Standards (SRS). Schooling Resource Standard - Department of Education, Australian Government
At present there are 4 SRS loadings. The SRS loadings provide additional funding for student priority cohorts and disadvantaged schools. A school’s SRS can include up to 4 student-based loadings and 2 school-based loadings. Loadings are not affected by capacity to contribute.
The 4 student-based loadings are the:
● student with disability loading
● Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander loading
● socio-educational disadvantage loading
● low-English proficiency loading.
A student may attract funding under more than one loading. The 2 school-based loadings are for:
● School size
● School location.
The Department calculates the loadings for each school each year. ICPA (Aust) are advocating that there be a 5th student-based loading for Geographically Isolated students. This would then provide additional funding to the states to cover the higher costs of supporting Geographically Isolated students in the Distance Education journey - travel to contact events, appropriate technology, funding towards the compulsory supervisor etc.
If successful, this would mean an increase in funding for NT Distance Education schools.
