A maternity allowance is paid to mothers irrespective of income, and an endowment for all children under 16 years of age is payable to the parent or other person with custody. The Flying Doctor Service provides medical service for persons in remote areas. Australia has more than 2,500 hospitals and nursing homes and some 36,600 physicians. This is partly funded by a 1.5 per cent levy on taxable incomes. Short stay visitors to Australia must pay for all medical and hospital treatment.
Private insurance is available.
Foreign students in Australia on sponsored studies also have cover, but those paying full fees must pay an advance premium. Education States and Territories are responsible for providing educational services, with supplementary funding coming from the Federal Government. About 72 per cent of school children are educated in government schools. There are both government and private schools in all states providing much the same curriculum. In 1994, there were more than 2.2 million children at government schools and another 884,000 were in the private system.