Be supportive of your grandchild and if there is a cause for concern, work with the teacher to find a solution to the problem.

Education in Queensland

STATE EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

State schools provide free instruction, administration and facilities.
Parents or caregivers are responsible for providing textbooks and other resources, including uniforms, for their children while attending school. Many schools offer a textbook and resource scheme to provide these learning resources at a lower cost to the parent.
Many schools, in conjunction with their parents and citizens’ associations, also ask parents or caregivers for a voluntary financial contribution to provide extra resources such as art materials or sporting equipment. These amounts vary from school to school.

Parents or caregivers also bear the costs of school excursions, camps and extracurricular activities.

Textbook and resource allowance

The Department of Education and the Arts provides assistance to parents or caregivers of secondary school age students attending state and approved non-state schools to contribute towards the cost of textbooks and learning resources.

For more information contact your school principal or the Department’s School Financial Services Unit on 3237 0864.

Transport assistance

The transport of students to and from school is a parental responsibility. The Queensland Government funds the School Transport Assistance Scheme to help students travel to and from school if their access to education facilities is impeded by distance, disability, financial disadvantage or from areas designated as drought-declared.

Eligible families receive assistance with rail, bus or ferry transport, or conveyance allowance for driving their children to school. Students with disabilities can also be assessed to determine their eligibility for taxi or contract minibus.

For more information on school transport assistance for students with disabilities, contact your local Education Queensland district office or visit www.education.qld.gov.au/students/transport

For further information on school transport contact your local Queensland Transport office or visit www.transport.qld.gov.au/public

Living away from home allowances scheme (LAFHAS)

The Queensland Government offers financial assistance to students who are compelled by geographic isolation to board away from home in order to attend approved schools with the required year levels.

For more information contact the Department’s School Financial Services Unit on 1800 248 997.

Other Assistance

Many schools have school uniform shops and second-hand clothing pools. Contact your school parents and citizens’ association for further information. Families in genuine financial difficulties are asked to contact the school principal for assistance and advice with uniform provision.

Further Information

For more details on these financial assistance schemes, visit www.education.qld.gov.au/finance/grants/fund/garp/html/par-stu.html