We've planted the seeds for future growth
We have almost doubled school investment, providing $64.9 billion over four years compared to $32.9 billion provided by the previous government.
In the three years from 2008 to 2010 the Government has invested a total of $10.9 billion in vocational education and training through both ongoing and capital funding.
The Government has increased funding for higher education teaching and learning from $5.8 billion in 2007‑08 to $8.3 billion in 2011‑12.
Over the past four years the Government has delivered reforms to lift Australia's skills and workforce participation. These reforms are shifting Australia to a high participation, high skill economy.
The Government has made a substantial investment in education and training, including:
- Higher Education — in 2011, in excess of 480,000 undergraduate university places are being funded, rising to more than half a million places next year, an increase of 20 per cent since 2008
- Trade Training Centres in Schools — $2.5 billion over 10 years to boost Year 12 attainment and address skills shortages
- Schools — record investments in school infrastructure, literacy and numeracy, and low socio‑economic areas. Reforms to make every school a great school, including improving transparency, autonomy and rewarding teacher and school performance.
The Government has also established better services to link job seekers to training and employment and pathways for people with disability to participate, including:
- Job Services Australia — $3.8 billion investment over three years to deliver a new, simple and more effective employment service to job seekers
- Disability Employment Services — $1.7 billion over three years to deliver uncapped, demand‑driven employment services for people with disability, including catering to people who need ongoing employment support.
The Government has provided more financial assistance to families to help them balance work and caring responsibilities, including:
- introducing Australia's first national Paid Parental Leave scheme — $1 billion over five years from 2009‑10 to promote women's workforce participation, help give children the best start in life and support working parents
- increasing Child Care Rebate — from 30 to 50 per cent of out‑of‑pocket costs up to $7,500 per child per year and, from 1 July this year, families will now have the choice to receive these payments fortnightly
- continuing the Education Tax Refund — up to $794 in tax refunds to assist parents in meeting the costs of their child's education.