Defence recognises that some children may experience disruption to their education each time they move for a posting. We have a range of services and resources that can assist with the transition between schools and education systems, and to provide support for the unique needs of Defence students.
This support includes:
EDLOs
Education Liaison Officers, or EDLOs, give education support to Defence families as they move around the country, providing information, advice, referral and specialised assistance.
This includes:
School mentors
DCO recognises that Defence families often turn to schools for help when mobility affects education through frequent moves, long periods of separation, isolation from extended family support networks, and operational deployments.
The program provides funding to eligible schools in order to engage a Defence School Mentor. Mentors work to minimise the impact of mobility on education and build the capability of the school in supporting Defence students and their families.
Mentors are based within primary and secondary schools across Australia for the purpose of providing support to the children of Defence families through on-site, direct and flexible assistance to students, parents, teachers and other support services.
This may include:
The Defence School Mentor program is funded annually and is only able to provide support to schools as funding allows. Eligibility criteria determines the level of funding that can be offered. Potential applicants should refer to the Program Guidelines for details.
The following will be considered when determining the eligibility for the support of a Defence School Mentor position within a school:
Schools that are approved for funding must:
If you would like any information about the Defence School Mentor program email dsm.program@defence.gov.au.
ACT
NSW
VIC
School | Location |
---|---|
Bandiana Primary School | Bandiana |
Baranduda Primary School | Baranduda |
Carranballac College Boardwalk School | Point Cook |
Carranballac College Jamieson Way School | Point Cook |
Catholic College Wodonga | Wodonga |
Crib Point Primary School | Crib Point |
Gippsland Grammar School | Sale |
Guthridge Primary School | Sale |
Melrose Primary School | Wodonga |
Puckapunyal Primary School | Puckapunyal |
Sale Primary School | Sale |
Seymour College | Seymour |
St Joseph's Primary School | Crib Point |
St Mary’s College | Seymour |
St Monica's Primary School | Wodonga |
Streeton Primary School | Yallambie |
Victory Lutheran College | Wodonga |
Viewbank College | Viewbank |
Viewbank Primary School | Viewbank |
Western Port Secondary College | Hastings |
Wodonga Middle Years College | Wodonga |
Wodonga Primary School | Wodonga |
Wodonga Senior Secondary College | Wodonga |
Wodonga South Primary School | Wodonga |
QLD
School | Location |
---|---|
Annandale Christian College | Annandale |
Annandale State School | Annandale |
Bohlevale State School | Bohlevale |
Calvary Christian College | Mount Louisa |
Freshwater State School | Freshwater |
Good Shepherd Catholic School | Rasmussen |
Holy Spirit Catholic School | Cranbrook |
Ignatius Park College | Cranbrook |
Isabella State School | Edmonton |
Kirwan State High School | Kirwan |
Kirwan State School | Kirwan |
Mackillop Catholic College | Edmonton |
Mundingburra State School | Hermit Park |
Northern Beaches State High | Deeragun |
North Shore State School | Burdell |
Oonoonba State School | Idalia |
Pimlico State High School | Pimlico |
Redlynch State College | Redlynch |
Ryan Catholic College | Kirwan |
Southern Cross Catholic College | Annandale |
St Andrew's Catholic College | Redlynch |
St Anthony's Catholic College | Deeragun |
St Clare's Catholic School | Burdell |
The Willows State School | Kirwan |
Thurwingowa State High School | Condon |
Townsville Grammar School | Townsville |
William Ross State High School | Annandale |
NT
School | Location |
---|---|
Alawa Primary School | Alawa |
Bakewell Primary School | Bakewell |
Casuarina Senior College | Moil |
Casuarina Street Primary School | Katherine |
Darwin High School | The Gardens |
Darwin Middle School | The Gardens |
Dripstone Middle School | Casuarina |
Durack Primary School | Durack |
Holy Spirit Catholic Primary | Wanguri |
Katherine High School | Katherine |
Katherine South Primary School | Katherine |
Larrakeyah Primary School | Larrakeyah |
Leanyer School | Leanyer |
Ludmilla Primary School | Ludmilla |
MacKillop Catholic College | Palmerston |
Marrara Christian College | Palmerston |
O'Loughlin Catholic College | Karama |
Palmerston Christian School | Palmerston |
Palmerston Senior College | Driver |
Rosebery Primary School | Rosebery |
Sacred Heart Catholic School | Woodroffe |
Sattler Christian College | Palmerston |
St Joseph's Catholic College | Katherine |
St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Darwin |
The Essington School Darwin | Casuarina |
Wanguri Primary School | Wanguri |
WA
SA
School | Location |
---|---|
Catherine McAuley School Campus | Craigmore |
Gleeson College | Golden Grove |
Golden Grove High School | Golden Grove |
Golden Grove Primary School | Golden Grove |
Greenwith Primary School | Greenwith |
Hewett Primary School | Hewett |
Largs Bay School | Largs Bay |
Mawson Lakes School | Mawson Lakes |
Nairne School | Nairne |
Our Lady of Hope Primary School | Greenwith |
Pedare Christian College | Golden Grove |
Playford Primary School | Craigmore |
St Brigid's Catholic School | Evanston |
St Columba College | Andrews Farm |
The Heights School | Modbury Heights |
Trinity College - Blakeview | Evanston South |
Trinity College – North & South Junior | Evanston South |
Trinity College – North & South Senior | Evanston South |
Regional
As ADF members and their families relocate around Australia, they may encounter differences in the way states and territories and individual schools deliver education.
Our Education Liaison Officers can provide you with advice and information to assist you with making informed decisions about education options for your children.
The My School website is a government-run website that allows you to search and compare almost 10,000 schools across Australia, and includes a find-a-school function, school performance ratings and profiles, and links to school websites.
You can get other information from the relevant state or territory department of education, including details of:
However, you should contact individual schools for details of:
Financial assistance
A range of financial support is available to help minimise disruption to schooling caused by posting within Australia. The aim is to provide the student with limited interim assistance to help overcome any immediate difficulties with the child’s education that occurs as a direct result of posting.
Defence may reimburse fees for tutoring required to overcome immediate difficulties caused by changing schools. Students may be entitled to reimbursement for an initial 14, 26 or 52 weeks of tutoring in any subject where the gaining school has certified the need and evidence has been provided to support that there has been a decline in grades or that the child is not achieving the expected educational standard. This applies to primary and secondary students, within the first 18 months of starting at the new school.
You may choose to have your child attend boarding school, rather than relocate the child and disrupt their education In this instance, where the child is in year 9, 10, 11 or 12, or an earlier year that is deemed to be critical to the child’s education, you may be entitled to financial assistance for the compulsory tuition fees and accommodation costs of the school.
If your dependant is studying at a tertiary institution, and their chosen course is not available in the new posting location, or it would be disruptive to change universities, financial assistance may be available to assist with accommodation costs (at a capped amount) for the dependant to live near or at the tertiary institution. This applies only to full-time undergraduate students and is capped at a maximum of three years' assistance.
Practical assistance is available for dependants with special needs. This includes special needs assessments, therapy services, or tuition. This support must have been provided to students in the previous posting location and evidence needs to be provided that these services are not available at the gaining location. Dependants with special needs may also be entitled to reimbursement of private schooling costs, if a special program is only available at a private school and it is considered critical for the child's educational progress.
If a student has to give up an education scholarship or bursary due to changing schools, Defence may reimburse their educational costs to the value of that scholarship.
If your child is studying at a location distant from your posting, you may access funds towards the child's travel expenses to come to your location for a reunion. The member must be eligible for education assistance, and depending on the type of education assistance the member is eligible for, the child will be entitled to one or more return journeys each calendar year.
For more information about this program:
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