Aboriginal children in remote communities in Central Australia will have greater access to education, with a funding boost helping three schools upgrade or build new boarding facilities.
The federal government announced $18 million in funding on Thursday as part of the Central Australia Boarding Response Fund, which was established in March after consultations with community stakeholders - including Central Australian Aboriginal Leadership Group and the Central Australian Regional Controller - expressed a need for greater boarding capacity in the region.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said for many Indigenous children in Central Australia, boarding schools is their only option to engage in education, "so it's important to ensure the right facilities are available to give them the best chance of success".
"This funding will provide more opportunities for First Nations young people in remote communities to access quality education, increasing participation, attendance and retention in Central Australian schools," Senator McCarthy said.
Boarding providers were able to participate in an open and competitive grants process to apply for funding after the Central Australia Boarding Response Fund.
Yirara College will be offered up to $10 million and St Philip's College up to $1.7 million to upgrade their existing facilities, whilst Yipirinya School will be offered $6.3 million for a new boarding facility which will allow for far greater accommodation capacity for students in the region.
The investment, the government says, complements the $40.4 million allocated to all schools in the Central Australia region for On-Country Learning under the $250 million A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia plan.
Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour, whose massive electorate takes in Alice Springs and Central Australia, said the investment will "make it easier for Aboriginal youth to be educated closer to home".
"School boarding facilities are the gateway to a quality education for many Aboriginal students living in remote communities across my electorate of Lingiari," she said.
"Every child has a right to a quality education, regardless of where they live. Well-resourced school boarding facilities provide the benefits of a comprehensive, well-rounded educational experience, where students are supported to achieve academically, grow emotionally, foster lasting friendships, and enhance their teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills."
Education Minister Jason Clare said the investment was about supporting students in remote communities.
"This funding will go towards improving existing facilities and building new facilities," he said.
The funding also builds on the deal struck between the Commonwealth and NT Government to fully fund all Northern Territory public schools.
Last year, the Central Land Council called on the federal government to act "quickly and decisively" to end what is described as the Northern Territory's remote education crisis.
At the time, CLC chief executive Les Turner said federal action was needed to prevent "a total collapse of the NT's remote government education system, which is starved of funds and unable to support the needs of all children".
