SCHEDULE 1
Government Schools–Building and Equipment Projects and Recurrent Expenditure
© 2026 Zoe. All rights reserved.
Zoe is a legal information platform. Always consult the Federal Register of Legislation for authoritative text.
Commonwealth act
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
Mechanically, the Act authorises the Commonwealth to pay specified grants to the States (and the Northern Territory) for school building, equipment and recurrent programs — covering government and non‑government schools, ESL, disadvantaged and special education, multicultural and approved special projects — and fixes dollar limits in Schedules and conditions for use and reporting (eg. ss 5–56; Schedules).
States (which must pass funds to approved authorities and schools), approved authorities and ethnic education bodies are affected; the Minister may approve projects, vary lists and require certificates and repayments, creating allocation rules, compliance obligations and reporting duties.
Want the full deep dive?
Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.
Direct links to the current provisions in States Grants (Schools Assistance) Act 1981.
SCHEDULE 1
Government Schools–Building and Equipment Projects and Recurrent Expenditure
SCHEDULE 2
Government Schools—General Education in English as a Second Language
SCHEDULE 3
Disadvantaged Schools and Prescribed Country areas
SCHEDULE 4
Special Education (Including Integration activities)
SCHEDULE 5
Non-Government Schools—Building and Equipment Projects
SCHEDULE 6
Recurrent Expenditure—Levels of assistance for non-Government Schools
SCHEDULE 7
Non-Systemic Schools—Supplementary establishment Grants
SCHEDULE 8
Miscellaneous Grants
TABLE OF PROVISIONS—continued
SCHEDULE 9
Multicultural Education
SCHEDULE 10
Residential Institutions and Severely Handicapped Children
SCHEDULE 11
Professional Development activities
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
States Grants (Schools Assistance) Act 1981
No. 162 of 1981
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
PART I—PRELIMINARY
Section
Short title
Commencement
Interpretation
Schools and areas with respect to which special provision is made, &c.
PART II—GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
Grants for building projects and equipment projects in connection with government schools
Limits on grants under section 5
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with government schools
Limits on grants under section 7
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with general education in English as a second language provided in connection with government schools
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with education in English as a second language for eligible new arrivals provided in connection with government schools
Limits on grants under sections 9 and 10, &c.
Grants for expenditure in connection with government disadvantaged schools
Limits on grants under section 12
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with special education at government schools, &c.
Limits on grants under section 14, &c.
Additional conditions to which grants of financial assistance under Part subject
Section TABLE OF PROVISIONS—continued
PART III—NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
Approval of building projects and equipment projects in connection with non-government schools
Grants for building projects and equipment projects in connection with non-government schools
Limits on grants under section 18, &c.
Grants for recurrent expenditure of systemic schools
Grants for recurrent expenditure of non-systemic schools
Limit on additional grants for schools in need of short-term emergency assistance
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with general education in English as a second language provided in connection with systemic schools
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with general education in English as a second language provided in connection with non-systemic schools
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with education in English as a second language for eligible new arrivals provided in connection with systemic schools
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with education in English as a second language for eligible new arrivals provided in connection with non-systemic schools
Limits on grants under sections 23, 24, 25 and 26, &c.
Grants for expenditure of systemic disadvantaged schools
Grants for expenditure of non-systemic disadvantaged schools
Limits on grants under sections 28 and 29
Grants for expenditure in connection with special education at non-government schools, &c.
Limits on grants under section 31
Additional conditions to which grants of financial assistance under Part subject
PART IV—JOINT GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with multicultural education
Limits on grants under section 34
Approval of multicultural education projects of national significance
Grants for expenditure in relation to approved multicultural education projects of national significance
Limit on grants under section 37
Approval of bodies as approved ethnic schools authorities
Approval of programs of ethnic education and determination of levels of funding
Grants for approved programs of ethnic education
Grants for expenditure in connection with the education of students receiving primary education or secondary education in prescribed country areas
Limits on grants under section 42
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with the education of children residing in residential institutions
Limits on grants under section 44
Approval of programs for education of severely handicapped children
Grants for expenditure in relation to approved programs for education of severely handicapped children
Limits on grants under section 47
Grants for recurrent expenditure in connection with approved professional development activities
Limits on grants under section 49
Grants for expenditure of approved education centres
Limit on grants under section 51
Approval of special projects or special programs
Grants for expenditure in relation to approved special projects or approved special programs
Limit on grants under section 54
Additional conditions to which grants of financial assistance under Part subject
Section TABLE OF PROVISIONS—continued
PART V—MISCELLANEOUS
Minister may fix amounts, and times of payments, of financial assistance
Amounts repayable by the States to the Commonwealth
Advances
Payments to be made out of Consolidated Revenue Fund or Loan Fund
Authority to borrow
Application of moneys borrowed
Reimbursement of Consolidated Revenue Fund from Loan Fund
Appropriation
Delegation by Minister
Determinations to be in writing, &c.
Report by Minister
Regulations
PART VI—AMENDMENTS OF STATES GRANTS (SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE) ACT 1980
Principal Act
Limit on grants under section 40
Approval of programs for education of severely handicapped children
Limit of grants under section 41b
Schedules
SCHEDULE 1
Government Schools–Building and Equipment Projects and Recurrent Expenditure
SCHEDULE 2
Government Schools—General Education in English as a Second Language
SCHEDULE 3
Disadvantaged Schools and Prescribed Country areas
SCHEDULE 4
Special Education (Including Integration activities)
SCHEDULE 5
Non-Government Schools—Building and Equipment Projects
SCHEDULE 6
Recurrent Expenditure—Levels of assistance for non-Government Schools
SCHEDULE 7
Non-Systemic Schools—Supplementary establishment Grants
SCHEDULE 8
Miscellaneous Grants
TABLE OF PROVISIONS—continued
SCHEDULE 9
Multicultural Education
SCHEDULE 10
Residential Institutions and Severely Handicapped Children
SCHEDULE 11
Professional Development activities
SCHEDULE 12
New Schedules to be Substituted for the Schedules to the States Grants (Schools assistance) act 1980
States Grants (Schools Assistance) Act 1981
No. 162 of 1981
An Act relating to the grant of financial assistance to the States and the Northern Territory for and in relation to schools and other matters
[Assented to 19 November 1981]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:
PART I—PRELIMINARY
Short title
Commencement
(2) Section 71 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 25 May 1981.
Interpretation
3. (1) In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—
“approved authority”, in relation to an approved school system, a non-government school or a non-government centre, means such person or body as the Minister declares to be the approved authority of that school system, of that school or of that centre, as the case may be, for the purposes of this Act;
“approved education centre” means an education centre approved by the Minister under sub-section 4 (6);
“approved ethnic schools authority” means a body approved by the Minister under section 39 as an approved ethnic schools authority for the purposes of this Act;
“approved professional development activities” means—
(a) in-service teacher training;
(b) inquiries into the feasibility of providing support services for government schools and non-government schools in a State, or the planning of such support services; or
(c) activities the purpose of which is to improve communication and understanding between teachers at government schools and teachers at non-government schools in a State, other persons employed at, or associated with the administration of, those schools, and students, and parents of students, at, and other members of the community interested in education at, those schools;
“approved school system” means a school system in a State, or in a part of a State, that consists of non-government schools and that the Minister declares to be an approved school system for the purposes of this Act;
“building” includes part of a building;
“building project” includes—
(a) the investigation of the need for—
(i) schools, or schools of particular kinds, in a State or a part of a State; or
(ii) a building or other facilities;
(b) the purchase of land, with or without buildings;
(c) the planning, erection, alteration or extension of a building or other facilities;
(d) the development or preparation of land for building or other purposes; and
(e) the installation of water, electricity or other services;
“certificate by an authorized person”, in relation to a condition contained in a section of this Act that requires a certificate to be furnished by a State to the Commonwealth Education Minister, means a certificate signed by the person authorized by the State Education Minister for the State to sign that certificate;
“certificate by a qualified accountant” means a certificate signed by—
(a) a person who is registered as a company auditor or a public accountant under a law of a State or Territory;
(b) a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia or of the Australian Society of Accountants; or
(c) a person approved by the Minister as a qualified accountant for the purposes of this Act;
“child” includes young person;
“commencing day” means the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent;
“Commonwealth Education Minister” means the Minister;
“Commonwealth Schools Commission” means the Commonwealth Schools Commission referred to in section 4 of the Commonwealth Schools Commission Act 1973;
“disadvantaged school” means—
(a) a government school in a State that the State Education Minister for the State notifies the Commonwealth Education Minister, under sub-section 4 (1), is a school that should, in the opinion of the State Education Minister, be treated as a disadvantaged school for the purposes of this Act; or
(b) a non-government school in a State that the Minister declares, under sub-section 4 (2), to be a disadvantaged school for the purposes of this Act;
“education centre” means a body corporate, or a body of persons that the Minister is satisfied will, during the year 1982, become a body corporate—
(a) the members, or a majority of the members, of the governing body of which are persons employed as teachers at government schools or non-government schools;
(b) the sole or principal object of which is to improve the professional competence of teachers by methods that include the provision of in-service teacher training; and
(c) which is not conducted for the profit, direct or indirect, of an individual or individuals;
“education in English as a second language for eligible new arrivals” means education that is provided for the purpose of teaching, by means of intensive instruction, the English language to eligible new arrivals;
“eligible new arrival” means a person whose first language is a language (not being the English language) of a country other than Australia and who arrived in Australia after 31 July 1981;
“equipment project” means a project for or in relation to the provision of equipment, library material or furniture;
“general education in English as a second language” means education that is provided—
(a) for the purpose of teaching the English language to persons whose first language is a language (not being the English language) of a country other than Australia; and
(b) for the purpose of giving instruction to those persons and other persons in relation to the various cultures of peoples who have migrated to Australia;
“government centre” means a centre in a State providing special education that is conducted by or on behalf of the Government of the State;
“government disadvantaged school” means a government primary school, or a government secondary school, that is a disadvantaged school;
“government primary school” means—
(a) a government school at which primary education is provided or a proposed government school at which primary education is to be provided; or
(b) in the case of a government school at which primary education, and also education other than primary education, are provided—that school in so far as it provides primary education;
“government school” means a school in a State that is conducted, or proposed to be conducted, by or on behalf of the Government of the State;
“government secondary school” means—
(a) a government school at which secondary education is provided or a proposed government school at which secondary education is to be provided; or
(b) in the case of a government school at which secondary education, and also education other than secondary education, are provided—that school in so far as it provides secondary education;
“in-service teacher training” means teacher training of persons in employment as teachers at government schools or non-government schools;
“integration activities” means activities the purpose of which is to integrate handicapped children into schools at which education is provided for children other than handicapped children;
“library material” includes books, periodicals, newspapers, films, sound recordings, musical scores, maps, plans, pictures, photographs and prints;
“multicultural education” means education, not being education contained in a program of ethnic education, that is provided for students attending government or non-government schools and that is designed to take account of the culture of peoples of the Aboriginal race of Australia or of peoples who have migrated to Australia, including,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, education that is provided by way of instruction in languages (other than the English language) spoken by those peoples;
“non-government centre” means a centre in a State providing special education that is not conducted by or on behalf of the Government of the State, but does not include a centre conducted for the profit, direct or indirect, of an individual or individuals;
“non-government disadvantaged school” means a school that is a systemic disadvantaged school or a non-systemic disadvantaged school;
“non-government primary school” means—
(a) a non-government school in a State at which primary education is provided or a proposed non-government school in a State at which primary education is to be provided; or
(b) in the case of a non-government school at which primary education, and also education other than primary education, are provided—that school in so far as it provides primary education;
“non-government school” means a school in a State that is not conducted, or proposed to be conducted, by or on behalf of the Government of the State, but does not include a school conducted, or proposed to be conducted, for the profit, direct or indirect, of an individual or individuals;
“non-government secondary school” means—
(a) a non-government school in a State at which secondary education is provided or a proposed non-government school in a State at which secondary education is to be provided; or
(b) in the case of a non-government school at which secondary education, and also education other than secondary education, are provided—that school in so far as it provides secondary education;
“non-systemic disadvantaged school” means a non-systemic school that is a disadvantaged school;
“non-systemic school” means a non-government primary school, or a non-government secondary school, that is not a systemic school;
“prescribed country
This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.