Materials and service charge discount to be extended into 2023, free breakfast program to be extended
A $100-per-child fee discount for the parents of children in the public system will be extended, the Premier has announced alongside Education Minister-turned-basketballer Blair Boyer.
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A $100-per-child fee discount for the parents of children in the public system will be extended in next week’s state budget.
And a program that provides free school breakfasts will be expanded to provide 1.4 million meals to children over the next four years.
Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the cost-of-living relief measures at Clovelly Park Primary School on Monday.
He said families would in 2024 continue to benefit from the discount to their school’s materials and service charge.
While announcing cost of living relief for South Australian families, Education Minister @BBoyerMP has wowed Clovelly Park students with an impressive trick shot. Details on the state budget discounts in 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm. #saparli#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/kn2HKFowLQ
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) June 5, 2023
It will be the third school year the discount has been applied, costing taxpayers a total $36m.
“So a family with three children attending a primary school like this here will have $300 worth of relief to the materials and services charge, which is actually quite a substantial contribution,” he said.
“But more than that the state government is making a unique announcement that we haven't really seen of this size and scale in the past and South Australia in terms of providing relief around the free provision of breakfast for a number of public schools throughout the state.”
Mr Malinauskas said there were currently one in three students who attend South Australian public schools who sometimes or often come to school without eating breakfast.
To address this, the state government has already partnered with organisations like Foodbank SA and KickStart for Kids to provide free breakfasts.
“We’re dramatically increasing that funding and today announce a $6.5m package that will see the state going from providing 400,000 free breakfasts to up to 1.4 million free breakfasts,” he said.
“That means a lot more kids getting fed before they start school.”
Clovelly Park Primary School principal Terena Pope said her school ran a regular breakfast program in collaboration with KickStart for Kids to support student learning.
It provides about 60 children with breakfast five days a week.
“This support enables us to offer a great range of food options – including cereal, fresh and tinned fruit, bread, butter and spreads, sandwiches, and milk – which ensures the students are ready to learn when the school day begins,” she said.
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