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Govt seeks corporate role in schools

A government plan to allow company joint ventures with high schools is about innovation and not making up for funding shortfalls, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

A new innovation strategy launched on Tuesday includes $500,000 for a pilot program called Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH).

Mr Abbott visited a P-TECH college in New York in June which was being supported by computer giant IBM financially and through the provision of mentors and trainers.

"We've got high schools that specialise in languages, we've got high schools that specialise in sport, in the performing arts," Mr Abbott said.

"So there's no reason why somewhere in our country we couldn't have a number of schools which specialise in science, technology, engineering and maths in conjunction with particular businesses."

He said it was a "long bow" to suggest that involving companies in schools could be used to shift costs.

"What we want to do is explore the potential of this model, not because ... we're trying to cost-shift, just because we think that, particularly for kids getting towards the end of high school, it may well help them to get jobs."

The government will also provide an extra $7.4 million for new maths resources in schools, $3.5 million for computer-skilled teachers, and travel and accommodation subsidies to help girls and remote students attend science summer schools.

A new Commonwealth Science Council, which will meet twice a year, will oversee the new programs and provide wider advice on how to get industry and researchers to work more closely.