Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Bill 2013 makes amendments to the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000.

The programs funded and delivered under the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 are complementary to mainstream schooling

This bill amends the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 to increase the legislative appropriation for the period 1 January 2012 to 30 June 2014. The increased appropriations will enable the education components of the $583 million Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory national partnership, specifically the School Nutrition Program, which provides support for approximately 5,000 students in 67 targeted Northern Territory schools and the additional teachers initiatives, to be administered under IETA.

The bill will also amend the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 to include administrative adjustments to program funding.

The increased appropriations will benefit the School Nutrition Program and the additional teachers initiative under the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory national partnership and include new funding for the Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education (ARTIE) project, which will be administered through the Sporting Chance Program, which is funded under IETA.

These amendments will increase the appropriations to allow the $4.43 million Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education project to be administered through the Sporting Chance Program element of IETA. The ARTIE Academy's mission is to offer a service that allows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to achieve a level of academic success that not only ensures year 12 completion but provides an opportunity for desired career choices to be potentially achieved. Funding provided through IETA will allow for the implementation of the academy's tutoring program in three primary schools in South-East Queensland at Bundamba, Marsden and Morayfield, and for the expansion of the academy into two Townsville high schools at Kirwan and Pimlico.

The bill reaffirms the Australian government's commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families and communities, including through funding targeted programs that focus on key drivers of educational achievement. I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.