The Gillard Government is investing an extra $41.1 million in a new National Partnership agreement to help boost literacy and numeracy results in Victorian schools.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said the new funding will help around 280 schools with strategies to help students improve reading, writing and maths skills, and to offer further training and development for staff.

“This will build on successful strategies under the previous National Partnership, which ran from 2008 to 2012,” he said.

“The Gillard Government is investing in our schools because we know targeted funding, coupled with proven strategies to help students improve their literacy and numeracy, lead to better results for our schools.

“Our education approach is in stark contrast to the Baillieu Government, which has slashed $550 million from schools in two years, including the School Start Bonus and the VCAL program.

“Reading, writing and maths are the core skills that every student needs. That’s why we’ve offered new funding this year, and it’s why from next year our National Plan for School Improvement will include a three-year focus on reading skills for students from Prep to Year 3.”

National Partnership funding can be used by schools in a number of ways, including:

• dedicated literacy and numeracy coaches
• professional development for teachers
• improving literacy learning in the early years
• tailored teaching approaches to lift literacy and numeracy achievement.

“NAPLAN data shows Victorian students in schools taking part in the previous partnership improved their scores, so our investment is having a real and positive impact,” Mr Garrett said.

“For example, Year 5 Indigenous students demonstrated strong improvement in numeracy, with the proportion at or above the national minimum standard increasing from 80.3 per cent in 2008 to 87.2 per cent in 2011.

“We’re investing an extra $243.9 million nationally for the 2013 school year, with each state and territory benefiting as they sign-up to the new agreement.

“Under our National Plan for School Improvement, every school will have a school improvement plan in place which sets out how schools will work to lift results, including in literacy and numeracy. There will be more funding for Victorian schools, and more information for parents and the community.

“That’s why the Victorian Government’s decision this week to release their own funding plan was the worst possible result for Victorian families. It would deliver far less funding to schools over time and has no details about how many schools and students would get extra support.

“Unlike the Liberal State Government, we’re genuine about helping all schools. Today’s funding is proof that we are determined to invest the resources to get the best results for Victorian students.”

For more information, visit http://deewr.gov.au/literacy-and-numeracy-schools