Funding programs and initiatives
Indigenous Education Agreement (IEA)
The Australian government, through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides supplementary funding to DET through the Indigenous Education Agreement (IEA) on a quadrennium basis. There are several main components to the IEA including:
- Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Program (IESIP);
- English as a Second Language for Indigenous Language Speaking Students (ESL-ILSS);
- Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) and In Class Tuition
Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Program (IESIP)
The objective of IESIP is to close the gap in educational outcomes that currently exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. This objective is supported by addressing key priority outcomes, including:
- improving Indigenous literacy and numeracy
- increasing the involvement of Indigenous parents/community members in educational decision making
- increasing the employment of Indigenous Australians in education and training
- improving preschool educational outcomes
- increasing Indigenous enrolments
- increasing professional development for staff involved in Indigenous Education
- expanding culturally inclusive curricula
- improving retention to year 12.
English as a Second Language for Indigenous Language Speaking Students (ESL-ILSS)
This program provides per capita funding to support Indigenous students from a Non-English Speaking Background (SESB) undertaking their first year of formal schooling in English. This program aims to facilitate the entry of eligible Indigenous students into education by providing intensive English oracy tuition.
Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS)
The ITAS program provides literacy and/or numeracy tuition to achieve improved literacy and numeracy skills for Indigenous students in all Northern Territory Government schools. The In Class Tuition program targets tutorial assistance to Indigenous students at key points of schooling up to Year 9 who are underachieving in English literacy and numeracy and are likely to benefit from assistance.