Indigenous education gets $120m boost

More than $120 million will be spent on boosting early childhood care and education in Indigenous communities, with most of the funding earmarked for an expansion of the Connected Beginnings program.

Of the federal funding, $30 million is expected to provide up to 20 childcare services in communities where there are none. 

Education Minister Alan Tudge expects up to 3500 children will benefit.

The bulk of the funds – $82 million – will be used to expand Connected Beginnings, which integrates early childhood services including healthcare.

It will be rolled out across 27 new communities between now and 2025.

The new sites have not yet been selected.

The program has already been introduced to 23 communities, including three in WA - Kalgoorlie through delivery partner Wanslea Family Services, Derby through World Vision and Roebourne through WA's Department of Communities. 

The national program is also supported by community partner Ninti One, which provides foundational support across sites by working with the local organisations and assisting with planning.

Mr Tudge said it would make a big difference in terms of preschool, vaccination rates, maternal health and early education.

Up to 200 high-risk children in Queensland and Victoria are also set to receive support, with $9 million allocated to expanding an early years program across four sites.

"We've taken the most high-risk kids and got them to where the average Australian is by the time they start school," Mr Tudge said. 

Another $1.9 million will be spent on an "explicit teaching" and "structured learning" method in two early learning centres in disadvantaged areas. 

The announcement came a day ahead of Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressing parliament on the Closing the Gap implementation plan.