2024-25 total Australian ODA [budget estimate]

$595.7 million

2023-24 total Australian ODA [budget estimate]

$577.7 million

2022-23 total Australian ODA [actual]

$567.8 million

Key Points

Australia's education sector priorities

Australia's education investments have an emphasis on supporting the most at-risk and disadvantaged, especially girls and women, and creating pathways to support a skilled workforce. Australia is an education partner of choice in our region, with a focus on supporting systems-based approaches for quality education. We are well-positioned to support partner countries provide effective, evidence-based education programs and will continue to invest in partner-led initiatives that improve schooling, vocational training pathways, and promote scholarship exchanges in the following priority sectors:

• Basic education is the foundation on which secondary and tertiary education, skilled employment and economic development is built. Our long-term investments in basic education support literacy and numeracy initiatives, increase opportunities for girls, and support educational inclusion of children with disabilities. This helps reduce disadvantage, support long-term sustainable economic growth, and strengthen regional prosperity, stability and security. Supporting teacher training, curriculum reform and improving learning assessments is also central to our basic education investments.
• Girls’ education is a strategic development priority. Evidence shows that girls’ education has a transformational impact on individuals, communities and development outcomes. Educating girls raises economic productivity, and lowers infant and maternal mortality, child marriage, and the incidence of malaria and HIV/AIDS. Girls who receive an education are more likely to marry older, have fewer children, participate in the labour market in a skilled profession, take on leadership roles, earn higher incomes, have a positive impact on agricultural production and community resilience to natural disasters and have greater autonomy over their sexual and reproductive health and choices. These outcomes reap significant benefits – educating girl’s enables stronger and more resilient economies and reduces poverty and inequalities. Ensuring girls have access to safe, inclusive, and quality education is a core priority. Through the Empowered and Equal Futures for Girls in Southeast Asia initiative ($7.04 million, 2023 – 2027), Australia is supporting UNICEF to strengthen education systems across Southeast Asia to address gender-based violence, promote positive gender norms and make schools safe for girls. Further information is available on the DFAT Gender Equality webpage.
• Australia's investments in secondary and tertiary education help partner countries develop local skilled workers to meet the needs of priority industries. This includes strengthening pathways for lifelong learning, and improving access to higher education for marginalised people.
• The Australia Awards program is a key investment in the future, building human capital and relationships across the Indo-Pacific region and Africa, and contributing to the development needs of our partner countries:
  • Australia Awards Scholarships provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.
  • Australia Awards Fellowships build networks of influence and leadership by strengthening partnerships and links between Australian host organisations and counterpart organisations in partner countries, targeting mid-career and senior officials who can advance key development outcomes in partnership with Australia.
  • Australia Awards Short Courses are targeted programs of intensive training for selected cohorts to address specific technical or skills gaps. They are formal study or training opportunities, generally of less than three months' duration, delivered by an approved Australian higher education provider or an Australian Registered Training Organisation in Australia and/or in partner countries.
• The New Colombo Plan, while not ODA funded, is also enabling more Australian students to study in the region and contributes to deep and lasting ties between Australia and partner countries.

Australia's Education support

$567.8 million total Education sector Australian Official Development Assistance (ODA) Financial Year 2023-24.

Australia supports over 130 education investments under our ODA program, spanning regional and country-specific initiatives. In 2023-24, these education investments were supported by a $567.8 million budget.

Australia's education contributions have four primary focus areas:

The Pacific

In the Pacific, Australia's bilateral and regional investments have a strong focus on basic education, including early literacy and numeracy development. Other education and skills investments are aligned with Pacific labour market and mobility needs, through greater investment in upper secondary education, skills for employment and affordable quality university education. We are also directly supporting the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF), which focuses on education quality, learning pathways, student outcomes and teachers, and are facilitating greater linkages between education systems to strengthen education outcomes and pathways in the region.

Southeast Asia

Australia is an education sector partner of choice for several Southeast Asia partner countries, and our total basic education official development assistance for the region was approximately $197 million for 2023-24. We have flagship education programs in Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, and Timor Leste, and support the Global Partnership for Education across the region. Australia also supports VET/skills work in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and with the ASEAN Secretariat, and scholarships across Southeast Asian countries. Our engagement in Southeast Asia continues our decadal effort to build capacity in the region. Each country's context determines at which points our efforts are focused. Doing this effectively requires our full set of development tools, including scholarships, policy exchanges and institution-led partnerships. In countries with weaker education indicators, we continue to support basic education outcomes, aligning with other regional priorities and supporting social cohesion and peace building.

Global

At a global level, Australia is supporting national education systems, including in crisis-affected states, through our $180 million commitment (2021-25) to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). GPE focuses on the most vulnerable children and hardwires gender considerations in all its partner education plans, including through the Girls' Education Accelerator. We continue to leverage our support for GPE to prioritise new partnerships and funds for the Indo-Pacific region.

Tertiary Scholarships

Australia Awards will continue contributing to development outcomes by educating a new generation of local leaders with strong links to Australia and engaging closely with partners on effective performance and delivery. Renewed support for Australian development scholarships for tertiary education in Australia and the region builds human capital and supports shared development priorities in partner countries. Across the global network, Australia invested around $250 million in 2022-23. Evidence from the Global Tracer Facility surveys show alumni use their skills, knowledge and networks to contribute to sustainable development in the region and enhance cooperation between Australia and partner countries.