Sydney, Australia (Feb. 12, 2025) – Recognising the urgent need to address educational inequity in rural and remote Australia so that all children have the opportunity to thrive, the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) has provided Australian Schools Plus (Schools Plus) a $4.7 million grant over five years to shift the dial for kids who are often left behind in rural, remote and very remote Australia. This initiative will support 7,000 students across remote communities with targeted programs and resources, fostering academic achievement and overall wellbeing.
Schools Plus, a national education non-profit, will leverage its expertise to support remote schools to deliver tailored initiatives that build on communities’ strengths to address the unique challenges the schools face. By collaborating with local communities, the partnership will build shared expertise, data and evidence to support sustainable and impactful change.
“This investment is not just about closing the gap in academic achievement,” says Sherrill Nixon, CEO of Schools Plus. “It’s about providing opportunities for children to thrive and reach their potential, ultimately contributing to a stronger and more equitable Australia.”
John Bush – Head, Young People at Paul Ramsay Foundation says “we are keen to support schools and their communities to deliver for their children, and we want to bridge their expertise into an evidence base that will help drive further impact and investment in improving outcomes for kids in the bush. We will work with Schools Plus to share this evidence at a systems level with the aim of driving change nationally for any child in a remote community.”
An example of the current work underway includes:
Laynhapuy Homelands School (LHS) (Northern Territory): With classrooms scattered across nine remote outstation communities in East Arnhem Land, LHS has partnered with Yolngu Elders and education experts from their community to develop an Indigenous language and culture program. The initiative aims to lift children’s wellbeing through strengthening their cultural identity and to enhance literacy skills by teaching in students’ first language.
Lee Casuscelli, Director of Education at Schools Plus says, “remote kids deserve the same opportunities as their peers. This vital partnership enables us to explore and address the complex challenges facing remote schools. Backed by our strategic relationships across the sector, we will launch multi-year initiatives that meet the unique needs of these communities, ensuring more children in remote Australia have access to the education and resources they deserve.”
Schools Plus is committed to utilising insights from these initiatives to influence system-level change and advocate for increased resource allocation to remote education. This partnership exemplifies a strategic approach to addressing educational inequity and supporting Australia’s most remote learners.