NSW INVESTS AN ADDITIONAL $113 MILLION IN STUDENTS WHO NEED IT MOST

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is investing a record $113 million in additional funding to support NSW public school students who need it most, Education Minister Adrian Piccoli announced today.

The funding for 2016, made possible by NSW being the first state to sign the Gonski agreement, means NSW students will benefit from needs-based funding totalling $860 million, distributed through the Resource Allocation Model.

“This substantial investment in public education is fantastic news for our schools, and a further boost in their determination to deliver improved student results,” Mr Piccoli said.

NSW public schools have benefited from additional needs-based funding, including 603 schools that are now receiving extra funding of more than $500,000.

Through the NSW Government’s Local Schools, Local Decisions reform, principals in all NSW public schools are making local decisions on how to use these funds to improve student outcomes.

“This needs-based funding can be used in a variety of ways, including employing speech pathologists or specialist teachers to target learning areas,” Mr Piccoli said.

“As part of this new funding, an additional $10 million is being distributed to schools to help students who have English language support needs.

“The success stories I am hearing in schools are incredible and I am proud of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s ongoing commitment to delivering funding to students who need it most.”

As a result of NSW signing up to the Gonski agreement, the NSW Government has also been able to deliver additional funding and resources to improve the quality of teaching, provide more school counsellors and improve support for beginning teachers.