Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled a major education initiative aimed at improving school attendance and completion rates among Indigenous students living in remote Australia, announcing a $115.9 million funding package under a future Coalition Government.
The centrepiece of the announcement is a $100 million Remote Indigenous Student Success Boarding Fund, designed to expand and improve access to boarding school infrastructure for students in areas where local education options are severely limited.
“Boarding schools provide vital access to education for Indigenous students living in remote communities,” said Shadow Education Minister Senator Sarah Henderson, announcing the policy alongside Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
“Just over half of Indigenous students complete Year 12, and attendance in very remote areas is as low as 46 per cent.
This fund is all about driving successful student outcomes.”
660 new boarding school places: The proposed fund will be delivered through two competitive grant rounds, with the aim of creating up to 660 new boarding places for Indigenous students across the country. It will focus on building and upgrading existing infrastructure in regional and remote boarding schools that predominantly serve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The initiative is designed to work in tandem with the current Indigenous Boarding Providers Grants Program, which supports more than 2,500 Indigenous students across 40 boarding schools. An additional $15.9 million will be allocated over four years (to 2028–29) to ensure new boarding places can also access this support.
Senator Henderson said the new investment complements the Coalition’s broader “back to basics” education approach, which places emphasis on explicit instruction and evidence-based teaching methods to lift literacy and numeracy outcomes across Australia.
Addressing poor attendance and completion rates: The announcement comes amid persistent concerns over low school attendance and retention rates among Indigenous students, especially in remote areas where access to quality education remains a key barrier.
“For Indigenous children living in remote communities, education is crucial to combating the tyranny of distance and breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage,”
said Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
“This is unacceptable. A Dutton Coalition Government will take real action to close the gap—not just talk about it.”
She said the investment reflects the Coalition’s belief in “practical measures, not platitudes,” that empower Indigenous families and help bridge the gap in educational opportunity.
Coalition criticises Labor for delays and uncertainty: In announcing the package, both shadow ministers aimed at the Albanese Government’s handling of Indigenous education, accusing it of failing to provide long-term certainty to boarding school providers and delaying the release of the Indigenous Boarding Design Review findings.
“The short-term funding extensions under Labor are creating anxiety and instability,” Henderson said.
“This new fund is a long-term solution that puts the focus on results and accountability.”
The Coalition’s commitment is seen as part of its broader election campaign messaging focused on “outcomes, not ideology,” positioning itself as the party of practical reforms in education, law enforcement, and infrastructure, particularly in Indigenous affairs.
Broader education plan: The boarding fund announcement forms a component of the Coalition’s “Back to Basics” education policy, which promises to:
- Boost student outcomes in literacy and numeracy through explicit teaching methods
- Improve teacher training and support
- Address chronic absenteeism, especially in disadvantaged communities
The Coalition says improving Indigenous education outcomes is critical to closing the gap in life expectancy, employment, and income, and that this policy provides a meaningful step toward that goal.
The Australia Today will continue to follow education policy developments across the 2025 federal election campaign. Stay tuned for interviews with Indigenous leaders, educators, and community advocates on how new policies could shape real-world outcomes.
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