Defence Community Organisation

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:

• Informing families about local schools and education systems, and working with parents, students and teachers to manage the transition to a new location and school,
• Linking families with education providers, resources or support agencies according to their child's individual needs (including special needs students),
• Working with schools to ensure a supportive educational environment and to raise awareness of issues facing Defence children, and
• Informing families about Defence support services available, including financial assistance entitlements.

In-school Defence 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.

To minimise the impact of the Defence lifestyle on children’s education, DCO provides funding to schools with significant Defence student enrolments. The Defence School Mentor program assists Defence students and their families with changing schools, integrating into the school community and providing support during parental absences.

The program provides funding to support schools to engage a Defence School Mentor, previously known as a Defence School Transition Aide (DSTA) or Defence Transition Mentor (DTM). Mentors work to minimise the impact of mobility on education and build the capability of the school to support 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:

• Helping new children and their families to integrate into the school and local community,
• Monitoring the social and emotional wellbeing of Defence students,
• Assisting students develop self-confidence, self-reliance and resilience,
• Referring students to services, or school and community programs that meet their needs,
• Enhancing awareness and appreciation of the unique Defence lifestyle in schools and communities, and
• Providing support to children during times of parental absence.

Funding and eligibility

The Defence School Mentor program is funded annually and is only able to provide support to schools as funding allows. Eligibility criteria are applied to determine 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 Mentor positions in schools:

• The available annual program budget,
• The number of students enrolled who are dependants of full-time serving Defence members,
• The number of Defence students who are impacted by parental absence due to their ADF service, including deployment, training exercise and any other extended service related absence,
• The number of Defence students who are impacted by mobility due to an ADF posting, and
• Whether or not a school is located in a remote location as per Defence’s definition outlined in its Pay and Conditions Manual.

Schools that are approved for funding must:

• Be a primary, secondary, middle years or foundation to year 12 school,
• Demonstrate an ability to deliver innovative programs/services to support Defence families,
• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to strategic partnerships between education authorities and Defence, and
• Demonstrate commitment to the program and compliance with the governance requirements as detailed in the Program Guidelines.

If you would like any information on the Defence School Mentor program email dsm.program@defence.gov.au.

Regional education

As they relocate around Australia, Defence families 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 help you make informed decisions about education options for your children.

Education advice

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:

• Local schools (including specialist schools),
• Government school term dates and public holidays,
• Support for students with special needs,
• Compulsory schooling and school entry ages,
• State or territory curriculum (note that the Australian Curriculum is being progressively developed and implemented nation-wide), and
• Education and training policies.

However, you should contact individual schools for details of:

• Enrolments,
• Courses and programs on offer,
• Uniform requirements,
• School fees or levies payable,
• Programs and opportunities for high-achieving students,
• Private school term dates,
• Special needs facilities and programs,
• Distance education options (for students in isolated areas or with special circumstances), and
• Course selection for secondary students, including vocational options and prerequisite subjects for university admission.

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 result of posting.

Tutoring

Defence may reimburse fees for educational services that a child’s school cannot provide. Students may be entitled to reimbursement for an initial 14 weeks of tutoring in any subject that has been recommended by the school principal or the child’s teacher. If the student requires further tutoring after the initial 14 weeks, then a further 14 weeks of tutoring may be approved in some circumstances. This applies to primary and secondary students, within the first 18 months of starting at the new school.

Boarding school allowances

You may choose to have your child attend boarding school, so they don't have to relocate with you on posting. 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.

Tertiary accommodation

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 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.

Students with special needs

Practical assistance is available for dependants with special needs. This includes assessment, therapy, tuition and additional support where students had received these services in their old location and aren't able to access them at their new posting. 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 critical for the child's educational progress.

Scholarship loss

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.

Reunion travel

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.

To apply

For more information about this program, contact the all-hours Defence Family Helpline on1800 624 608, or consult your local EDLO.