Improving the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged school students, including students with disabilities, is a major Commonwealth priority. The Government is committed to working collaboratively with state and territory education authorities to improve educational outcomes for all students, including students with disability, as part of the education reform agenda.
Through the National Education Agreement (NEA) agreed by the Council of Australian Governments in 2008 and new funding available under the National Partnership (NP) arrangements, the Government has committed a record $47.4 billion in funding for government and non-government schools over 2009-12. This investment aims to generate better outcomes
for all students and to ensure they progress successfully through their schooling so they can actively participate in the workforce and their community.
Under the NEA, state and territory governments are responsible for developing policy, delivering services, monitoring and reviewing performance of individual schools and regulating schools.
Australian Government funding to non-government schools is provided under the Schools Assistance Act 2008. Targeted funding for students with disability in non-government schools is provided through the Literacy, Numeracy and Special Needs (LNSLN) Program which includes approximately $814 million over 2009-12 to help students who are educationally disadvantaged, including students with disability.
The Commonwealth uses a composite allocative mechanism for determining the LNSLN funding allocations. The LNSLN funding consists of the following components:
- Recurrent component: the special education component uses each sector’s latest share of the non-government school enrolments; and
- Per Capita component: uses the eligible number of students with disabilities as reported in the Schools Census.
Responsibility for the allocation of this funding to individual schools rests with the non-government education authorities in each state and territory.