$500m schools boost focuses on teaching

THE government will today unveil $500m in expenditure over 10 years to improve school attendance and enrolment rates in the NT.

THE Gillard government will today unveil $500 million in expenditure over 10 years to improve school attendance and enrolment rates in the Northern Territory.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin and School Education Minister Peter Garrett say the government will put $583m into education as part of the Stronger Futures package.

The education expenditure of the package will include the construction of more teacher housing, teacher positions and training in remote NT communities.

The entire 10-year funding package will be revealed in the May budget.

The funding will ensure that 200 teaching positions are retained in remote Northern Territory schools.

Ms Macklin last week committed $825m in the first tranche of Stronger Futures, replacing the John Howard-era intervention in 73 indigenous communities that expires in July. Of that money, $619m will be spent on community policing, legal support and other initiatives, and $205m is to finance council support in homelands and out-stations.

The government says the quality of teaching is critical to helping children learn vital literacy and numeracy skills so they can have the best chance of getting a job in the future.

"We will continue to invest in quality teaching initiatives to ensure teachers have the skills and support to teach disadvantaged students and to help children re-engage with school."

"This investment will ensure that all remote teachers, including local Aboriginal teachers, have the skills they need to provide specialist teaching in intensive numeracy and literacy for students with English as a second language, or who may experience learning difficulties," the ministers say.

They say the funding will also assist the Northern Territory government to invest in professional development for Aboriginal school staff. This will help to increase the number of Aboriginal people with education qualifications and create pathways to assist local people to become teachers and education workers in their communities.

The government will also continue to fund the School Nutrition Program, providing meals to about 5000 students in 67 schools every school day to help them learn over the next decade.

The government says adequate housing for teachers is critical to getting the best and brightest teachers to commit to teaching in remote communities. It will build up to 100 teacher houses to tackle the shortages in staff housing.

The funding announced today includes the government's previously announced $85.6m enhanced Improving School Enrolment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure.

Under this initiative, if children fall below the set attendance benchmark, schools and Centrelink will work with families to develop attendance plans that

will work to address barriers to attendance.

If parents do not meet their part of the agreed attendance plan, every attempt will be made to assist them to get their child to school.

If children still do not attend school, welfare payments will be suspended.

Ms Macklin said school attendance and enrolment rates in many communities were still unacceptable.