Programme objective
The Government provides financial support for the states and territories through the National Schools Specific Purpose Payment (SPP) to be spent in the delivery of government and non-government school services.
This programme also has links to the Education portfolio.
Payments under this programme ended in December 2013. From January 2014, the National Schools SPP was replaced by Students First funding, which is provided for under the Australian Education Act 2013 and is reported in the Education portfolio. The non-government schools component of the National Schools SPP (to December 2013) also appears in the Education portfolio.
Programme deliverables
The programme deliverable is:
- payments to the states and territories are made in accordance with the payment arrangements specified in the Intergovernmental Agreement.
Key performance indicators
The key performance indicators are:
- the Commonwealth Treasury will transfer to each state and territory the amounts of their monthly and annual entitlements under the National Schools SPP (to December 2013), and will make the payments on the dates specified in the Intergovernmental Agreement;
- the Commonwealth Treasury will provide advice to the states and territories on the components of each payment prior to each payment being made; and
- the states and territories are required to spend the National Schools SPP in the schools sector. Each state and territory Treasurer will provide a report to the Council on Federal Financial Relations demonstrating expenditure of the National Schools SPP (government schools component) within the sector in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement. The Commonwealth Treasury will review these reports provided by the states and territories.
Analysis of performance
The Treasury facilitated the Government's 2013-14 financial support for the states and territories in the delivery of government schools services.
- Total expenses under the National Schools SPP (government schools component) were $2.1 billion. Payments were made in accordance with each state and territory's monthly and annual entitlements (to December 2013).
- Payments were made in a timely manner in accordance with payment arrangements specified in the Intergovernmental Agreement.
- Advice was provided to the states and territories prior to each payment being made.
To demonstrate that the National Schools SPP (government schools component) has been spent in the relevant sector, each state and territory Treasurer will provide a report to the Council within six months of 30 June 2014, disclosing relevant information in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement.