Batchelor Institute Funding

Recent media reports have advised that the federal government has stepped in to support a Northern Territory higher education provider that caters to indigenous students.

The Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, about 100km south of Darwin, has been struggling with financial difficulties and went into administration last August.

 

Education Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday announced Labor would provide up to $8.9 million to secure its future.

 

Ms Gillard said the funding would support a partnership negotiated between the institute and Charles Darwin University, designed to offer Indigenous Australians greater access to tertiary education.

 

"The partnership will allow the two institutions to share expertise and overhead costs inherent in running a quality institution including student administration, IT and human resources," she said in a statement.

 

The new arrangements are expected to be in place for the 2011 academic year.