The States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Amendment Bill 2001 (the Bill) contains a number of amendments to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000, the principal Act for Commonwealth funding for schools for the 2001 - 2004 quadrennium.

These amendments have the effect of amending the table in Part 1 of Schedule 8 to the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000 (the Act) to provide additional targetted assistance for educationally disadvantaged students for the years 2001 to 2004 to ensure that independent and non-systemic Catholic schools are not disadvantaged by the introduction of new arrangements for special education per capita funding; replacing the table in Part 2 of Schedule 8 to the Act to provide additional funding for non-government school students with disabilities for each of the years 2001 to 2004; and removing references to the Innovation and Education Legislation Amendment Bill 2001 (IELAB) from the Bill.

The measures for additional funding to provide strategic assistance for educationally disadvantaged students and non-government school students with disabilities were originally introduced into the Parliament as Parts 2 and 3 of Schedule 2 to IELAB which will now not proceed.

These amendments provide for increased funding under the Act as follows:

•       $190,000 for the program year 2001 for Grants for targeted assistance for educationally disadvantaged students* as shown in column 2, Part 1 of Schedule 8 to the Act;

•       $2.662 million over the program years 2001-2004 for Strategic assistance for non-government school students with disabilities, as shown in column 3, part 2 of Schedule 8 to the Act.

* Additional funding in Schedule 8, Part 1, column 2 of the Act `Grants for targeted assistance' for educationally disadvantaged students of $190,000 for each of the program years 2002, 2003 and 2004 is already provided for in the Bill.

Amendment (1)

Omits the words "and for related purposes" from the title page to the Bill to reflect the removal from the Bill of proposed amendments to the Innovation and Education Legislation Amendment Act 2001 (IELAB) which will not be enacted.

Amendment (2)

Replaces the commencement provision in clause 2 of the Bill with a new commencement provision that provides for the Act to commence on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent and removes references to the IELAB.

Amendment (3)

Has the effect of omitting the words "Subject to section 2, each" from clause 3 of the Bill to reflect amendments made by Amendment (2).

Amendment (4)

Replaces existing Schedule 1 to the Bill with a new Schedule 1 reflecting the removal from the Bill of proposed amendments to the IELAB which is not being enacted. Through the new Schedule 1, Amendment (4) also has the effect of amending Part 1 of Schedule 8 to the Act to further increase funding for targeted assistance for educationally disadvantaged students for the years 2001 to 2004, to ensure that independent and non-systemic Catholic schools are not disadvantaged by the introduction of new arrangements for special education per capita funding. It also has the effect of amending Part 2 of Schedule 8 of the Act to provide additional funding for strategic assistance for non-government school students with disabilities for each of the years 2001 to 2004, to correct an error in a previous update of funding amounts from 1999 final prices to 2000 final prices.

The additional funding for targeted assistance for educationally disadvantaged students and strategic assistance to non-government school students with disabilities were originally introduced into the Parliament as Parts 2 and 3 of Schedule 2 to the IELAB.