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Every Australian state and territory has now agreed to fully fund its public schools — but for some states, full funding will not arrive until 2034. According to The Conversation, Victoria's new deal means every jurisdiction is now covered by a full-funding agreement, closing the last gap in the national picture.
Victoria was the final piece. According to the Australian Government Department of Education material cited in the minister's announcement, Victoria signed its bilateral agreement on 21 October 2026. Under that agreement, the Commonwealth's contribution rises from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard by 2034, while Victoria lifts its share to 75 per cent.
The money involved is large. According to Jason Clare's office, the Commonwealth will provide $3.5 billion in additional funding to Victorian public schools over the next decade, and the agreement delivers more than $13 billion of additional Victorian Government funding above 2026 expenditure levels, including $4.9 billion to lift Victoria's share to 75 per cent of the standard.
The funding is tied to reforms, not handed over without conditions. According to the minister's announcement, the agreement supports individualised student support, evidence-based teaching practices, ongoing mental health support in schools, a Year 1 phonics check and a Year 1 numeracy check to catch students falling behind, and measures to reduce teacher workload.
The long wait is the main point of contention. According to The Conversation, some states will not reach full funding until 2034, and in Victoria, union leaders have criticised the back-ending of part of the state's contribution. For parents and principals, the practical question is not the 2034 target but how much additional funding reaches classrooms in the next few school years — for maintenance backlogs, staffing pressures and support for students who are behind.
Image credit: Old Arts Building, University of Melbourne by cogdogblog, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).