The Australian Government will invest an additional $35 million in funding to support First Nations students catch up in reading and early literacy, and to attend and finish school.
The Government will provide $33.6 million to the Clontarf Foundation in 2026, supporting up to 12,500 First Nations boys and young men to continue their education.
The Clontarf Foundation encourages students to build their confidence, attend school, finish year 12, and enter employment, through in-school and extracurricular school activities. The program improves student engagement through increased attendance, retention and overall academic performance.
A further $1.5 million will be provided to the MultiLit program under the Scaling Up Proven Primary Reading initiative. MultiLit delivers phonics-based programs supporting primary school students to catch up to their peers in reading and early literacy. Additional funding will allow MultiLit to continue to deliver programs across Australia in 42 regional and remote primary schools, who have a majority of First Nations students.
The additional funding for both initiatives is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap.
