A national academy to provide specialist leadership training for school principals will be set up if Labor wins the next federal election.
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A recent review found high performing school leaders add between two and seven months' worth of growth in student learning in a single year.
"Not enough principals are receiving the specialised training they need. Fewer than one-in-four new principals complete training before they start," deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said on Wednesday.
The National Principals' Academy would focus on advanced leadership, teaching and learning. It will be open to current and aspiring school principals, as well as other school leaders.
Ms Plibersek said Australia is facing a looming shortfall of principals as the population grows.
Almost three-quarters of Australian principals are over 50.
Between 2008 and 2013, the proportion of principals over 60 grew to 18 per cent.
"There is an urgent need to identify and train more principals, and support them well," Ms Plibersek said.
Ms Plibersek also announced a future Labor government would tip an extra $300 million into school funding specifically to support students with a disability.
She says the new data collection around these students means the number classified as having a disability has more than doubled to 450,000 but commonwealth funding for them has only grown by about seven per cent.
Australian Associated Press