Part 1–Interpretation

Part 2–Free education—general

Part 3–Funding State schools

56A Definitions for part In this part—

"extracurricular services", in relation to a relevant student, means any of the following services provided to the student regardless of whether or not the services are provided on school property—

(a) sporting programs or events;

(b) musical, dramatic or other artistic programs or performances;

(c) academic challenges or competitions;

(d) other education or cultural information or instruction provided by a person other than a staff member of the student’s school;

(e) school camps.

"individual student resources", in relation to a relevant student, means any of the following resources necessary for the student to participate in a State school’s educational program—

(a) textbooks;

(b) stationery;

(c) personal computing devices;
[Note: a laptop or tablet for the student’s use at school and outside school grounds]

(d) other relevant material, tools or instruments necessary for use in the following—

(i) art classes;
[Note: paints, brushes, canvases]

(ii) manual art classes;

(iii) music or drama classes;
[Note: sheet music, instruments, costumes]

(iv) photographic, design or visual art classes;

(v) cooking classes;

(vi) any other class that requires specialised equipment or instruments;

(e) any other equipment or devices necessary for the student’s personal use.

"relevant student" means—

(a) a person receiving, or intending to receive, education at a State school; or

(b) a kindergarten age child registered in a kindergarten learning program at a prescribed State school; or

(c) a person enrolled in a program of distance education at a State school.

56B Funding objectives

(1) The Minister must, within 2 months after the relevant day, introduce a Bill in the Legislative Assembly that achieves the objectives mentioned in sections 56C and 56D by the start of the 2025 school year.

(2) In this section—

"relevant day" means the later of the following days—

(a) the day of the commencement;

(b) 30 July 2024.

56C Objective—funding State schools

(1) The cost of providing instruction, administration and facilities for the education of all relevant students is to be met by the State.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the costs to be met by the State are to include the cost of providing—

(a) the individual student resources required for each relevant student; and

(b) if a relevant student attends, or intends to attend, a State school that requires the student to wear a school uniform—an adequate quantity of the required school uniform for the student for each school year the student is enrolled at the school; and

(c) the extracurricular services offered to all relevant students by State schools throughout the school year; and

(d) any other resources necessary to ensure—

(i) each relevant student’s participation in a State school’s educational program; and

(ii) the academic and extracurricular services offered at State schools are comparable to the services offered at non-State schools.

(3) The total amount of the costs mentioned in subsection (1) are to be met from—

(a) 100% of the SRS funding amount for each State school; and

(b) 100% of the total loading for each State school; and

(c) any other amount for each State school stated in the report mentioned in section 56D.

(4) In this section—

"school uniform" means—

(a) if a State school requires students to wear a winter uniform that is different from the summer uniform—both uniforms; and

(b) if the school requires a student involved in an extracurricular service to wear a uniform for the service that is different from the uniforms mentioned in paragraph (a)—the uniform for the service.
[Note: a sports uniform]

"SRS funding amount", for a school, has the meaning given by the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cwlth), section 34(1), (2) and (4).

"total loading", for a school, has the meaning given by the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cwlth), section 35.

56D Objective—reporting

(1) The chief executive is to, within 6 months before the start of each school year (the "relevant school year") for State schools, give the Minister a report that includes the following information for each State school—

(a) the number of students enrolled at the school for the previous school year;

(b) the number of students expected to be enrolled at the school in the relevant school year, based on relevant data;

(c) the cost of, or if the cost can not be accurately calculated a reasonable estimate of the cost of, providing the following for each student mentioned in paragraph (b) for the relevant school year—

(i) the individual student resources to be given to each student;

(ii) the extracurricular services to be provided by the school;

(iii) the items mentioned in section 56C(2)(b);

(d) any costs associated with providing educational programs or services for the relevant school year addressing the—

(i) economic, social or geographical disadvantages of the students attending the school; or

(ii) particular requirements of students with a physical or intellectual disability attending the school;

(e) the amount of costs met by the State under this part attributable to the school for the previous school year;

(f) a review of the operation and efficacy of the objective mentioned in section 56C.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the report may include advice or make recommendations to the Minister about the following matters—

(a) whether additional matters or services should be included for the purpose of the objective mentioned in section 56C;

(b) any other matters the chief executive considers necessary to support the objective.