Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has congratulated the Albanese Government on its re-election, while calling for renewed focus on fairness, inclusion, and school choice in national education policy.
ISA Chief Executive Officer Graham Catt said the result offered the Government a clear mandate, but also a clear responsibility.
“This election, our campaign demonstrated that Independent school families are not a political afterthought. They are taxpayers, voters, and active members of their communities—and their voices were heard,” Mr Catt said.
Over the course of the campaign, ISA’s School Choice Counts initiative generated more than 12,000 visits to its website and over 700 downloads of school toolkits
“The scale of this engagement shows the strength of feeling in families and educators. This is just the beginning of a new movement for fairness, choice and respect in school education,” Mr Catt said.
ISA ran targeted digital ads in electorates where support for divisive policies had grown—including Melbourne, Brisbane, Ryan, and Griffith. In all of these, parties that used rhetoric against Independent schools went backwards at the ballot box.
“We didn’t campaign against any party, we didn’t tell people how to vote.” Mr Catt said. “We simply shared the facts, told the truth and voters made up their own minds.”
“The message is clear: Australians don’t want the blame game. They want a fair go for every student, in every school and their families.”
- A Strong Foundation for the Next Term
ISA welcomed Labor’s formal response to its five key policy priorities, which included:
- Stable funding for Independent schools, with no changes to existing arrangements and continued investment through the Choice and Affordability Fund and Capital Grants Program
- A 12-month rollover of 2025 CTC scores, with commitment to earlier release dates going forward
- Two-year extension of Indigenous Boarding Provider Grants
- A continued focus on cross-sector collaboration in areas like teacher retention and student wellbeing
- $105 million in capital grants to support school infrastructure in 2025
“This is a strong starting point—but we’ll continue to push for greater support for vulnerable students, increased capital investment, and a permanent solution for Indigenous boarding,” Mr Catt said.
ISA also urged government to take a more nuanced approach to education and immigration policy, particularly regarding international students and rising visa costs.
“Our schools play a vital role in international education. These decisions require care, consultation, and common sense.”
Mr Catt also acknowledged the contribution and professionalism of Education Minister Jason Clare over the past term.
“We’ve enjoyed a positive working relationship with Minister Clare. We don’t yet know who will hold the education portfolio, but whoever it is, we’ll work constructively and advocate clearly. School choice must remain a priority.”
Mr Catt said the campaign’s success was thanks to the leadership of state and territory Associations of Independent schools, principals, teachers, and families who stood up for their schools.
“From social media posts to candidate letters, thousands of people took part. You showed the country who we are—and why we matter.”
ISA is the national peak body representing 1,216 Independent schools with close to 720,000 enrolled students, accounting for approximately 17 per cent of Australian school enrolments and a workforce of 122,000 people. Independent schools are diverse, serving a range of different communities across Australia.
ENDS