Peter Dutton promises $100m boarding school fund for remote Indigenous communities
Peter Dutton has announced he will allocate $100 million into a new boarding school fund for remote Indigenous communities if he is elected the next prime minister.
Federal Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from Federal Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A new $100m boarding school fund for remote Indigenous communities will be created if Peter Dutton is elected Prime Minister.
Boarding schools are often the only education option for extremely remote Indigenous communities particularly in Central Australia because children are unable to travel long distances to get to and from school.
The school attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in very remote areas in 2024 was as low as 45 per cent in the Northern Territory and 54 per cent in Western Australia and South Australia.
In comparison, the national average for school attendance in major cities is 79 per cent.
Coalition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said the fund will help create up to 660 new places by building new schools and upgrading existing ones.
“Boarding schools provide vital access to education for Indigenous students living in remote
communities,” Ms Henderson said.
“Just over half of Indigenous students complete Year 12 … The challenges facing Indigenous children and teenagers in remote communities are immense, and this fund is all about driving successful student outcomes.”
The Albanese government had previously established its own boarding school fund — the Central Australia Boarding Response Fund — for $18m.
The Coalition has criticised Labor for failing to deliver adequate funding to schools including Yipirinya School in Alice Springs which is looking to build a $14m boarding facility.
In 2023, government was also accused of leaving two planned boarding schools in limbo in remote NT and WA.
The government at the time argued that the projects would be funded once a site was found.
Coalition indigenous affairs spokesman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, said these
investments are a vital step in lifting Indigenous school attendance and retention rates.
Ms Nampijinpa Price’s mother, former Northern Territory politician Bess Price previously worked at Yipirinya.
“For Indigenous children living in remote communities, education is crucial to combating the
tyranny of distance and breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage which has led
to such poor learning outcomes.” Ms Nampijinpa Price said.
“This is unacceptable. A Dutton Coalition Government will take real action to close the gap,
not just talk about it.
“This fund empowers Indigenous families to access better opportunities for their children,
especially when local schooling options are limited.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Peter Dutton promises $100m boarding school fund for remote Indigenous communities
Labor knew of Russia’s base request, final Newspoll drops
Support for the two major parties is at near-record lows heading into election week, and it’s emerged Labor knew about Russian moves in Indonesia before the campaign. LIVE UPDATES
Question that brought Dutton undone
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have just five days to convince Australians to vote for them in Saturday’s election, but one question may cost one leader.