Free sanitary products will soon be available for female students who need them at all South Australian public schools, the state government has announced.
Under a new grants program announced on Thursday, money will be given to each public school based on the number of female enrolments it has in Year 5 and above to keep access to sanitary items from becoming a barrier to learning.
Education Minister John Gardner said the grants program, which will cost around $450,000 over three years, would help students who need it most.
“We want to ensure that no girl or young woman in South Australia is missing school because they don’t have access to sanitary products,” he said.
“Every young person deserves to attend school feeling happy, cared for and ready to learn.”
It comes after a trial at 15 schools in SA last year, which found while sanitary products were available if needed, some students didn’t feel comfortable asking for them, potentially putting their class attendance at risk.
The schools in the trial worked with students to determine how they would prefer to access the products. Some decided to put the products in a basket or box in a particular bathroom, while others designated a code word for staff.
“Our trial schools had an overwhelmingly positive response from their students, working together to find the right fit for their local needs,” Mr Gardner said.
“Indeed, while the trial schools did already have existing provisions in place, the very activity of having students and staff work together to identify the best process for their site helped raise awareness and reduce stigma.”
Last year, Victoria became the first state or territory in Australia to provide free pads and tampons in all government schools.
