The Fyles Government has indicated it wants to change how schools are funded by scrapping the attendance-based model and instead fund schools based on enrolment numbers, a move that has been welcomed by Territory teachers.

Territory schools have among the lowest school attendance in the country, but the government said they will benefit from the new funding model as it will improve education delivery and could lead to increased attendance by providing more resources to remote schools.

Education Minister Eva Lawler said the changes were overdue.

“A very complex issue we have in the Territory is mobility – we have large numbers of students moving and (it’s about) making sure that money then follows the child,” Ms Lawler said.

She added that the delivery of education in the Territory is so diverse “from our large high schools in Darwin, Palmerston and the rural area to our remote and very remote schools with small numbers of secondary students.”

Australian Education Union NT president Michelle Ayres said scrapping what’s known as the “effective enrolment model” would result in better outcomes for everyone.

“This review confirms what teachers and principals have been saying for years – the kids with the lowest attendance are the most difficult to reach and require more resources, not fewer,” she told the ABC.

“[The current funding policy] has forced our public schools into inescapable downward spirals, to the point where our educational system is now on life support.

“Our attendance rates have plummeted, our literacy and numeracy levels are lower than at the turn of the century, and we face a severe teacher shortage.”

The government’s decision to change the funding model was made on the back of a Deloitte analysis that recommended the reforms, but it also warned it would take years to implement.

Data from Deloitte’s Effective Enrollment Review indicate that more than 70 per cent of the Territory’s government schools are located in remote or very remote regions and that 27 per cent of those schools have less than 50 students enrolled.

Funding per public student in government schools totals $23,500, which includes $15,100 from NTG, the review indicates.

A Principal Reference Group and an Expert Reference Group will also be formed to inform findings and recommendations from the review.

The Education Department will then look at all recommendations to develop the school funding reform and other considerations after the final report is submitted in May next year.

“It is important to periodically review school resourcing arrangements to ensure that funding is equitable, needs-based and sufficient, and to identify any opportunities to strengthen education delivery to students,” she said.

The government is also awaiting other reviews to be finalised into broader school issues, facing the NT, Ms Lawler said.

As part of the review, stakeholders including students, schools, teachers, parents, communities, Aboriginal-controlled community organisations, experts and peak bodies will be consulted.

The Government, this year, spent a new all-time high of $1.185 billion on education with $558 million going directly to schools in a diverse geographical and socio-economic area. Ms Lawler did not indicate the government was looking to make any savings.