Anthony Albanese is announcing that Queensland has signed up to the school funding deal – Queensland premier David Crisafulli is in Canberra for the announcement, so both are feeling pretty chuffed with themselves.

The agreement means (per the release)

As part of the Heads of Agreement signed today, the Commonwealth will provide an additional 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to Queensland.
 
This will lift the Commonwealth’s contribution from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the SRS by 2034.
 
This will see an estimated $2.8 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to Queensland state schools over the next 10 years.

This agreement will see the biggest injection of funding ever delivered for Queensland state schools.
 
As part of the Agreement, Queensland will remove the provision allowing them to claim 4 per cent of state school funding for indirect school costs such as capital depreciation and replace it with 4 per cent of recurrent funding on eligible expenses.

So what does Queensland have to do?

The Agreement signed today will be followed by a Queensland Bilateral Agreement, which will tie funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school, such as: 

• Year 1 phonics and early years of schooling numeracy checks to identify students in the early years of school who need additional help.
• evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind.
• initiatives that support wellbeing for learning – including greater access to health professionals.
• access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning, and
• initiatives that improve the attraction and retention of teachers and reduce teacher and school leader workload.