Budget
at a Glance

Education

Budget 2026 supports the Government's commitment to lifting student achievement at school. In addition, it reinvests some of the savings from ending final-year Fees Free into preparing young people for trades and other vocational education.

Budget at a Glance icon - Classroom A $131 million package of measures to strengthen teaching and learning to help students meet standards in reading, writing and maths. Budget at a Glance icon - Playground Capital investment of $470 million to redevelop up to 10 schools, deliver up to 232 additional classrooms and buy land for new schools.
Budget at a Glance icon - Open book A $74 million package to support the implementation of a refreshed curriculum and new national qualifications. Budget at a Glance icon - Lunch $212 million to continue the Healthy School Lunches and Early Childhood Education Food programmes in 2027.
Budget at a Glance icon - Piggy bank Ending final-year Fees Free at the end of 2026 (a saving of just over $1 billion). Budget at a Glance icon - Book of ABCs Increasing funding rates to support providers of foundation education ($25 million).
Budget at a Glance icon - Group Funding of $87 million for 1,000 more Youth Guarantee places, providing free learning for young people with no or low qualifications. Budget at a Glance icon - Engineer Funding of $69 million to double the number of Trades Academy places to 20,000, providing free trades training to year 11 to 13 students.
Budget at a Glance icon - Classroom A $131 million package of measures to strengthen teaching and learning to help students meet standards in reading, writing and maths.
Budget at a Glance icon - Playground Capital investment of $470 million to redevelop up to 10 schools, deliver up to 232 additional classrooms and buy land for new schools.
Budget at a Glance icon - Open book A $74 million package to support the implementation of a refreshed curriculum and new national qualifications.
Budget at a Glance icon - Lunch $212 million to continue the Healthy School Lunches and Early Childhood Education Food programmes in 2027.
Budget at a Glance icon - Piggy bank Ending final-year Fees Free at the end of 2026 (a saving of just over $1 billion).
Budget at a Glance icon - Book of ABCs Increasing funding rates to support providers of foundation education ($25 million).
Budget at a Glance icon - Group Funding of $87 million for 1,000 more Youth Guarantee places, providing free learning for young people with no or low qualifications.
Budget at a Glance icon - Engineer Funding of $69 million to double the number of Trades Academy places to 20,000, providing free trades training to year 11 to 13 students.