The NSW Department of Education is committed to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students.

The equity loading must be used to support the department's goal for the educational outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students to be as good or better than those of the general student population of NSW.

In 2026, the Aboriginal background equity loading is provided to support approximately 79,000 students in 2,070 NSW public schools.

How is the equity loading calculated?

Mid-year census data from National Schools Statistics Collection (NSSC) is used to calculate the equity loading for the following year. The level of funding and rate per student for each school is determined by the number and percentage of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students in the school.

Schools with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student enrolments, identified through the census data, receive Aboriginal background equity loading.

Schools receive the equity loading as flexible funding and/or a staffing allocation. If a staffing allocation is included as part of the equity loading, it is funded from the equity loading and is not additional staff entitlement.

School planning, reporting and accountability

Every school must incorporate excellence and improvement measures for their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students in their School Excellence Plan (SEP). Schools report on the impact of this equity loading on student outcomes in their annual report and the annual reflection of needs-based funding.

The equity loading must be used in the year for which it is provided.

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