Gov’s camp, sport and excursion fund for school kids to receive cash boost in state election

Families with children in government schools can earn $400 per child for free next year, to spend on camps and sporting fees.

The money can go towards school camps and sports activities.

The Victorian Government’s camps, sport and excursion fund for state school students will be boosted to $400 per child and extended for another two years.

Premier Jacinta Allan announced the pre-budget boost for families on Thursday.

The $123m extension to the popular fund will see payments go from $154 per year for primary school and $256 for secondary students to $400 for all.

Parents will receive up to $400 per child next year to spend on school camps and sports activities, if their kids go to a state school.

The money can be used by holders of Health Care or concession cards to pay for school items and activities that kids may otherwise miss out on. Parents can pool the funding among their children.

In addition, the Premier announced the extension of the $200 Get Active Kids vouchers for another two years, also helping families to pay for memberships, registration fees, equipment and fees.

The program covers more than 70 sports and 2100 activity providers across the state.

Premier Allan said the government has been “focused on what matters most – real help with cost of living for families and real support for every child”.

Her words come as cuts have been forecast to new school construction programs, doctors in secondary schools and early years education management programs in next week’s budget.

The state government hopes the cash splash will provide families with cost of living relief.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said the announcement was “nothing more than an admission that current supports for school camps, sport and excursions have been underfunded by Labor for years”.

“If the Allan Labor Government was serious about delivering a world-class education for students they would reverse their inexcusable $2.4 billion cut to public school funding,” she said.

“These programs remain important but are no substitute for a properly funded and resourced public education system which the Allan Labor Government has turned their back on delivering.”

The boost to the camps and excursion fund will only be useful if schools have the resources to facilitate such outings, with the Herald Sun reporting last year schools were finding it increasingly difficult to run them due to teacher time-in-lieu arrangements.

Some public schools either reduced the number of camps they ran or cut them completely due to teacher shortages and not having staff available to fill in for educators taking time off in lieu as a result of attending a camp.

Originally published as Gov’s camp, sport and excursion fund for school kids to receive cash boost in state election