The announcement of the 2012-13 federal budget has seen a number of funding initiatives for Australian education, many of which will directly benefit families with children in school.

Read on to find out the potential pros and cons of choosing a selective entry government school.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) launched the National Safe Schools Framework in 2011 with the belief that all students should be able to learn and develop in safe and supportive environments.

The federal government's annual report detailing initiatives to close the gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population has found that a number of the goals listed in the 2011 report have seen improvement.

The New South Wales Government has announced a $24 million initiative to hire 200 additional teachers in 2012.

The second stage of the 2011 NAPLAN testing results have been released, following the September release of the initial NAPLAN Summary Report and the distribution of individual student reports.

The Review of Funding for Schooling has found that Australian schools are failing to get the best results for their students. It made several recommendations to reform school funding priorities at a total cost of $5 billion.

The Queensland Government is working to bring the education system in line with the other states by moving Year 7 to the secondary school system.

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority will scrap mid-year VCE exams in 2013.

A study into the rates of obesity in school-aged children in NSW has revealed that obesity rates are holding steady at 23 per cent.