The New South Wales Government is set to deliver record funding to NSW public schools while delivering targeted reforms to improve student outcomes.
In 2025, the NSW Government’s annual investment in every public-school student will be more than $17,000 – an increase of $2,203 per student compared to the government’s 2023 commitment.
This is a total investment of $13.1 billion by the State Government in the 2025 calendar year.
This increased funding is being directed to expand critical early intervention programs, including:
Small Group Tuition Program
The funding will boosting the government’s small group tutoring program to $80 million, a $27 million increase on last year. This will help lift literacy and numeracy outcomes for students.
This additional funding means the program is now available to nearly 60,000 students with an increase in the support available for students from ten weeks of tutoring to 15 weeks.
This program provides targeted literacy and numeracy support in small groups (of two to five students).
It will introduce an assessment for students before and after the program to measure how much they’ve improved.
University teaching students will also be able to provide hands-on classroom experience as tutors – supporting student outcomes and strengthening the future teaching workforce.
The Federal Government Productivity Commission’s report on school funding identified that small-group tuition can improve learning outcomes in reading by up to four months, and mathematics outcomes by up to three months.
Year 1 Phonics Support Program
All Year 1 students currently take a short phonics test to help identify how strong their key early reading skills are. The check helps teachers quickly spot students who need extra help and provide them with support.
The State Government is supporting this work with more classroom resources and targeted support with 144 schools participating this year in a focused support program, providing extra training, tools and leadership support to lift phonics outcomes.
Year 1 Number Screening Check
The New South Wales Government is trialling a new check across 165 public schools to assess Year 1 students’ early numeracy skills.
This is helping over 7,000 Year 1 students to identify gaps in key numeracy skills – including counting, ordering, and basic operations – giving teachers immediate insights to deliver tailored support.
New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, said that this is the single largest investment in public school students in NSW history, because every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live or what their background is.
“We know that funding alone isn’t enough,” Minns said.
“That’s why we’re also delivering practical changes like early literacy and numeracy checks and expanded tutoring – to make sure students get the right support when they need it.”
New South Wales Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning, Courtney Houssos, said, “This announcement is a tribute to Deputy Premier, Prue Car, and her tireless work to deliver record education funding and ensure that every public school student can achieve their full potential.
