hat ICPA NT requests the NT Education Minister and Dept of Education & Training support the campaign by ICPA (Aust) to the Federal Government to add an additional loading category to the School Resourcing Model for Geographic Isolated students.
Explanation:
Education funding from the Federal Government to the States is calculated by the School Resource Standards (SRS).
https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/schooling-resource-standard
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 (Aus) 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 compulsory supervisor etc.
If successful, this would mean an increase in funding for NT Distance Education schools
