Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Coalition of a significant new funding package for Indigenous boarding schools.
ISA Chief Executive Officer Graham Catt said the announcement recognises the vital role that Indigenous boarding schools play in closing the education gap for students from remote communities.
“Independent schools are the largest providers of boarding in Australia, and a majority of the schools serving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boarders are Independent schools,” Mr Catt said.
“These schools are not elite. They are essential.”
“We welcome this announcement, which recognises the important role boarding options play in providing remote Indigenous students with safe, culturally responsive education and care.”
“Indigenous boarding schools, many of which are Independent, are doing the heavy lifting for some of Australia’s most vulnerable students. This funding commitment is a vital step forward.”
“Education is nation-building—let’s treat it that way, with bipartisan, long-term, sector-blind investment.”
Mr Catt said ISA is now calling on the Albanese Government to match the Coalition’s plan and provide a long-term commitment to Indigenous boarding school funding.
“We urge the Albanese Government to match this commitment,” he said.
“This is an opportunity for both sides of politics to back students, not sectors—and to deliver the certainty that these schools, families and communities have been calling for.”
This commitment aligns strongly with ISA’s national School Choice Counts campaign, particularly Policy Priority 3: Supporting Our Most Vulnerable Students, which calls for fair, stable, and long-term funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disability, and those in Special Assistance Schools.
ISA is the national peak body representing 1,216 Independent schools with over 720,000 enrolled students. In 2023, 987 Independent schools educated 19,299 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, many of whom come from remote areas. The Independent school sector is the largest provider of boarding schools in Australia, operating 75% of all Australian boarding schools.
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.
For more information – www.isa.edu.au