Terms of Reference

On 12 December 2013 the Senate established a select committee on School Funding with the following terms of reference:

1. That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on School Funding, be established to inquire into and report on the development and implementation of national school funding arrangements and school reform, with particular reference to:
   1. the implementation of needs-based funding arrangements, from 1 January 2014, for all schools and school systems, including:
      1. Commonwealth funding, methods for the distribution of funds, funding arrangements and agreements with states and territories, as well as related accountability and transparency measures,
      2. funding arrangements for individual schools,
      3. the extent to which schools can anticipate their total future funding and links to educational programs in future years,
      4. the consequential equity of educational opportunity between states and territories, schools and students,
      5. progress towards the Schooling Resource Standard, and
      6. the implementation of schools reforms,
   2. how funding arrangements will meet the needs of all schools and individual students, including Indigenous students, students with disability, small schools, remote schools, students with limited English, and students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds;
   3. the Government’s proposed changes to the Australian Education Act 2013, related legislative instruments and their consequences;
   4. the economic impacts of school education policy;
   5. the Government’s consideration of expert findings, research, public consultation and reports in the development and implementation of school policy, including the selection of experts to provide advice on education policy; and
   6. any related matters.[1]

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