Getting remote children back to school in 2022

Media release - Minister Wyatt

The Morrison Government will support more than 13,380 students and their families to maintain engagement with school through an extension of the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) in 2022.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said $26.8 million will maintain the program in 83 remote schools across the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia for the 2022 school year and will create more than 470 local Indigenous jobs.

“We know that the early years are critical in building the foundations for a prosperous life, and supporting Indigenous children to access quality education is critical to Closing the Gap,” Minister Wyatt said.

“RSAS provides tailored, community-driven solutions to address the unique challenges of remote schooling.

“This includes practical activities such as school bus runs, breakfast and lunch programs, as well as embedding longer term change through workshops and mentoring to help address some of the barriers that families may face.

“Over the next 12 months, the Morrison Government will assess the impact of RSAS activities following COVID-19 disruptions and continue collaborating with communities, schools and state and territory governments to develop new approaches to further improve attendance.”

RSAS funding is part of the Morrison Government’s $235.1 million investment in education programs under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy for 2021/22.