Media Release

60/2009
25 September 2009

Indigenous Education: Performance Audit of the School Nutrition Program

Lindsay Tanner, Minister for Finance and Deregulation announced the publication of a new performance audit completed by the Office of Evaluation and Audit (Indigenous Programs) in the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

The School Nutrition Program (SNP) program aims to contribute to improved school attendance and engagement by providing breakfast and lunch to school aged children in prescribed communities, and to provide employment opportunities for local Indigenous people. The SNP was a key measure of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) and is being implemented by Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

The audit found that the program had been implemented quickly under challenging conditions, however, it was difficult to draw clear connections between the activities of the program and its objectives of improved school attendance and engagement and local employment creation.  The audit also found that more attention needed to be given to questions of capacity building and sustainability.

DEEWR agreed with the findings and recommendations, noting that the audit provided a valuable resource for planning the future directions of the program.

The full report is available at www.finance.gov.au/oea/publications-and-reports.html

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