The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to six targets for closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, which include halving the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for Indigenous children within a decade, and halving the gap for Indigenous students in year 12 attainment or equivalent rates by 2020. These targets have been incorporated into National Agreements, including the National Education Agreement, and into funding agreements with non government school systems and authorities.

Indigenous Supplementary Assistance (ISA) is provided to ensure that schools have the capacity to deliver high-quality educational outcomes for Indigenous children.  ISA is calculated using a formula that takes into account the level of schooling and the remoteness of the campus location.

The funding arrangements provide flexibility for education authorities and schools to develop strategies that better respond to the individual needs of Indigenous students and suit the circumstances of each school community.

The Commonwealth Government expects schools to consider both Indigenous-specific and mainstream funding received and use it strategically to close gaps in educational achievement between students, particularly the significant gaps that exist between Indigenous Australians and other Australians.

For information about Indigenous Supplementary Assistance or the Indigenous Funding Guarantee, call 1800 677 027 and choose option 1 when prompted, and then option 3.