The Coalition Government has announced it will invest more than $2.6 million in Walgett, Wilcannia and Brewarrina, through its successful Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS).
Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said the Strategy is making a difference to school attendance and education outcomes in his electorate.
“With the extension of the RSAS through to December 2021, local teams will continue to support communities in Walgett and Wilcannia,” Mr Coulton said.
“I’m especially pleased that Brewarrina has been added as a new RSAS site as of this year.
“Every community in my electorate is different in strengths, aspirations and needs. Through the RSAS, local people are employed as school attendance officers and supervisors to help families take a lead role in their children’s education.
“It is about delivering local solutions to support students to attend or return to school.”
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said RSAS has achieved a lot in the last five years since it was established by the Coalition Government in 2014, getting more children to attend school, creating almost 500 remote jobs and bringing a new focus to school attendance.
“The Coalition Government made school attendance a key priority when it was elected in 2013 and RSAS has increased attendance rates in 84 communities in remote parts of the country,” Minister Scullion said.
“Over the next three years, we will work with communities to support more Indigenous children to attend school including through a stronger focus on case management with families and communities and an increase in local decision making.”
The investment in the Parkes electorate is part of the Government’s $78.4 million commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families across the country.
Around 14,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across Australia are supported to attend school through the RSAS.