Since 2004 GPV/KCV has been campaigning for improvements in provision of education services to all children and young people. Since 2010 GPV/KCV has been particularly concerned about provision of education services to children and young people in out of home care and has campaigned for support for carers to keep children engaged in education and experiencing success at school.
KCV commends the report Let us Learn released by the Victorian Commissioner for Children and Young People in January 2024 and calls for the Victorian Government to respond to its recommendations as a matter of urgent significance to the wellbeing of Victoria’ children and young people and that the Victorian Government establish an open process for the implementation of its recommendations, including publication of an implementation timeline
Further, in order to defray the prohibitive costs of education, KCV calls for the urgent implementation of the following measures:
- The Victorian Government to increase the Carer Allowance and for the Department of Families Fairness and Housing (DFFH) to strengthen the Care Allowance assessment and payment processes to ensure assessments are conducted thoroughly and in a timely way, and that equitable financial support is provided
- The Victorian Department of Education ensure that carers of students in out-of-home care are not requested to pay voluntary financial contributions and education-related expenses, including camps and excursions.
- The DFFH to ensure carers and the children / young people in their care, are provided, early in the establishment of the, placement, with information about flexible funding available to cover education and extra-curricular activities and that the process for seeking this funding is streamlined.
- The Victorian Government provide all students in out-of-home care with free public transport via Victorian Student Travel Pass
Australian Universities Accord
Summary of final report into a review of Australia’s higher education system