The Australian Government has announced it will amalgamate the National School Drug Education Strategy, and the Values Education and Values Drugs programs into one program to create the Student Resilience and Wellbeing Program, creating savings of $10.3 million over four years.

 

The government maintains that consolidation of these programs will achieve administrative and financial efficiencies and allow for the development of a national approach to building student resilience and wellbeing while still supporting the policy intent of the original programs.

 

Savings under this measure will offset an increase in funding to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority for the development of, amongst other things, a Health and Physical Education Curriculum. The curriculum will provide opportunities to support students to develop the resilience, knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing.