Education Minister Jason Clare has announced that Labour will allocate 8.5 million dollars to build Australia’s first Hindu School.
If re-elected, Labor will support the creation of a primary school in Oakville, located in Sydney’s rapidly growing North-West corridor, aimed at serving the educational and cultural needs of the nation’s third-largest religious group.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Education Minister Jason Clare during a community event in Harris Park—home to the highest proportion of Indian-Australians in the country.
Flanked by Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton and members of the Hindu community, Minister Clare described the commitment as a step toward inclusive education and greater multicultural representation.
“The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future and investing in the first ever Hindu school in Australia,” said Minister Clare.
“Hinduism is Australia’s fastest growing major religion, and the Hindu community plays an important role in the multicultural country we live in today.
This new school will give parents in West and North-West Sydney the option to send their children to a school that incorporates their faith and culture.”
The proposed school will be operated by the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre and will follow the New South Wales curriculum, with additional teachings on Hindu traditions, culture, and philosophy. The Hindu Council of Australia, which represents over 100 Hindu organisations across the country, has thrown its full support behind the initiative.
“This election commitment is not just about bricks and mortar. It’s about giving choice to thousands of families who want their children educated in an environment that respects and reflects their cultural values,”
said Andrew Charlton MP.
The funding announcement by Labor follows a previous verbal commitment by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during Holi celebrations last month at the Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct in Kemps Creek, where he first publicly endorsed the concept of a Hindu school. However, at the time, no specific monetary allocation had been made.
The promise also comes just weeks after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced that a Dutton-led Coalition Government would match the same $8.5 million commitment, should it win the upcoming election. Dutton announced during his visit to the same Mandir, where he also met with His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan movement.
The bipartisan support reflects the growing political recognition of the Hindu community’s contribution to Australia’s multicultural fabric. With over 680,000 Hindus now living in Australia—making it the fastest-growing major religion—there is a growing demand for education that integrates cultural heritage with academic excellence.
While both major parties have now formally backed the project, questions remain around the timeline and delivery framework. Labor clarified that the school’s funding, if granted, will adhere to the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles, and will complement funds already raised by the community and other stakeholders for land and initial development.
As the federal election campaign heats up, the battle for multicultural votes—particularly in electorates like Parramatta, Greenway, and Chifley with significant South Asian populations—has intensified.
Regardless of the electoral outcome, Australia appears to be on the cusp of a historic educational milestone that may open the door for more culturally representative schools across the country.
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