Purpose
The Rural and Remote Education Access Program (RREAP) assists schools to improve the educational outcomes and equitable opportunities of students who are disadvantaged because of their geographical isolation, so that their learning outcomes match those of other students.
Funding is provided to eligible state schools, including special education schools and schools of distance education, to enrich a curriculum that is appropriate to their students.
The program is governed by the department's
Rural and Remote Education Access Program (RREAP) procedure which should be followed when administering RREAP funds.
Duration of program
Ongoing
Eligibility
Eligibility is based on the
Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) Australian Statistical Geography Standard—Remoteness Area (ASGS-RA) classification.
State schools classified as 'Very Remote' and 'Remote' are eligible for RREAP funding. 'Outer Regional' schools are eligible if they are 90km or more from an urban centre locality of 20,000 people or more. All
Schools of Distance Education (SDEs) are classified as 'Very Remote' for the purposes of RREAP, with funding provided to SDEs based on their student's home address meeting the geographic criteria above.
Classifications are reviewed following an Australian Census by the ABS, approximately every five years. Changes reflect population, expansion in the geographical size of urban centres and improved road networks that may impact on distances to services.
Distances between schools and urban centre localities are determined by the Queensland Government Statistician's Office and reviewed following an Australian Census, measuring the distance along the road to a point that is representative of the nearest urban centre locality of 20,000 people or more.
Schools whose eligibility no longer meets the geographic criteria above will transition out of the program with reduced funding prior to having their RREAP funding discontinued.
A
list of eligible schools and clusters is available on the
RREAP webpage. Schools do not need to apply for RREAP funding as entitlements are automatically calculated and paid each year.
Allocation of funds
Annual allocation
An annual fixed budget for 2023–24 of $5,679,754 is allocated towards RREAP as follows:
- $5.485m allocated to eligible schools, with 80% of this funding distributed to individual schools and 20% distributed to School Cluster Committee (SCC) host schools.
- $0.120m set aside for SCCs to organise cluster professional development projects.
- $0.075m set aside for emergent needs related to rural and remote state schools.
Funding methodology
The appropriation methodology consists of a base rate determined by ASGS-RA, plus a per capita rate per enrolment to fit within the annual fixed budget allocation.
Based on a school's particular location and enrolments, the funding formula is as follows:
- RREAP entitlement = Base rate + ([student enrolments] ÷ [per capita relativity] x Rate).
Eligible schools that are located in a town with a population greater than 10,000 people receive a reduced base rate and reduced per capita rate.
The funding methodology counts students who are enrolled at an eligible RREAP school. SDEs entitlements are calculated based on full-time students only, with a home address that meets the eligibility criteria above.
Record keeping and expenditure
The
RREAP procedure specifies that appropriation payments are made to schools using OneSchool Revenue Cost Centre 1097. Schools are to place all RREAP expenditure against the OneSchool Expenditure Cost Centre 2080 'Rural and Remote Education Access Program (RREAP)'. SCC host schools are to use an Administered Cluster Cost Centre in OneSchool (Cost Centre grouping 6000**).
Use of funds
Schools use funds to support the improvement of educational outcomes and opportunities for state school students who are geographically isolated. The
RREAP procedure should be followed when administering RREAP funds.
RREAP funds are to be used to support projects that:
- enhance their students' curriculum opportunities by providing access to services and programs supporting specific learning areas that cannot be sourced locally or incur additional costs compared to urban school communities
- supplement their school's access to information and communication technologies by extending the department's existing equipment and software provisions
- provide professional development to their staff and capability building opportunities for school community members to contribute towards improved educational outcomes for geographically isolated students.
School community consultation
Principals are to undertake consultation with the P&C or parents of children attending the school and local community members, including Traditional Owners and other key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, regarding how to best expend funds.
Principals represent their school, P&C or parents of children attending the school and local community members at their RREAP School Cluster Committee.
Payment details
| Semester 1 | February | 50% annual allocation to individual and School Cluster Committee host schools
|
| Semester 2 | July | 50% annual allocation to individual and School Cluster Committee host schools |
Professional development
| September | 100% of allocation to School Cluster Committee host schools
|
Data requirements
Enrolment data (Day 20 Department of Education student census)
| Strategy and Performance Branch, Department of Education
| Annually in February for the following financial year
|
| Remoteness area classifications | Australian Bureau of Statistics | Approximately every 5–6 years
|
Further information
For more information, please visit the
RREAP page,
RREAP procedure or search RREAP on OnePortal (DoE employees only).
How to apply
Schools do not need to apply for this funding. Entitlements are automatically calculated and paid each year.
Contact
Rural, Remote and Strategic Initiatives
Phone: (07) 3055 2808
Email:
ruralandremote@qed.qld.gov.au