Eva Lawler's Big Education Win One Year On
“I was determined to make sure that we got the full and fair funding.”
A Year Since the Better Fairer Schools Agreement July 31 2024
Join us for a compelling conversation with Eva Lawler, former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, as we mark one year since the signing of the Better Fairer Schools Agreement on July 31, 2024.
In this insightful episode, Eva shares the long and determined journey to secure full and fair funding for NT schools. With a career spanning teaching, school leadership, and senior executive roles within the Department of Education, Eva's passion for ensuring every child in the Territory reaches their full potential shines through.
A standout achievement of this agreement was the unprecedented increase in the Commonwealth's contribution to NT school funding, jumping from 20% to a substantial 40%. This remarkable shift, doubling the federal share compared to other states and territories, secured an additional $1.1 billion for Northern Territory schools. Eva emphasises this was a critical recognition of the unique challenges and diverse needs of the Territory's remote and often vulnerable communities, aiming to bring their resources closer to those of well-resourced schools elsewhere in Australia.
Eva reflects on the strategic outcomes tied to this funding, including a strong focus on early literacy and numeracy, student wellbeing, attracting and retaining quality teachers, and improving attendance and Year 12 retention rates. She emphasises that while securing the funding was a monumental achievement and "almost a lifetime's work," the real challenge lies in its effective implementation on the ground.
Recorded 30 July 2025
