Australian Schools Plus and Paul Ramsay Foundation announce $4.7m investment in success for remote kids

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 Australia. This initiative will support 7,000 students across remote communities with targeted programs and resources, fostering academic achievement and overall wellbeing.

The investment recognises the urgent need to address educational inequity in rural and remote Australia. Schools Plus, a national education non-profit, will support remote schools to deliver tailored interventions that build on communities’ strengths to address the unique challenges they 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,” said 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 of Young People at Paul Ramsay Foundation, said: “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.”

Australian Schools Plus is a national not-for-profit founded in 2014 following a recommendation in the first Gonski Review, which identified a need for philanthropic funding in schools to help close the education gap caused by disadvantage. Backed by philanthropic pioneers such David Gonski AC, Kerry Stokes AC, John B Fairfax AO and Nick Fairfax, the organisation has raised more than $68 million to support over 550,000 school children and 37,000 teachers with its targeted programs and initiatives. 

Laynhapuy Homelands School (LHS) in the Northern Territory is an example of the current work under way. LHS has classrooms scattered across nine remote outstation communities in East Arnhem Land and 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.

Holy Spirit College in Queensland is empowering disengaged youth through trauma-informed education that fosters a safe and supportive learning environment and equips students with essential life skills (main image).

Lee Casuscelli, Director of Education at Schools Plus, said: “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.