The federal education department wasn't asked about the merits of a Labor decision to give $278 million to a global schools program now headed by former prime minister Julia Gillard, a Senate committee has heard.
Australia is the fourth-largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education, which is dedicated to getting children in the world's poorest countries into schools.
The money was allocated by the Labor government in 2011 from the aid budget.
Ms Gillard was appointed chairwoman of the program's board of directors in January.
But education department secretary Lisa Paul told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday she wasn't familiar with the program.
"I didn't know such a program existed, so no, I certainly haven't been consulted," she said.
Ms Paul offered to find out whether anyone else in her department had been asked about the merits of Australia giving more than a quarter of a billion dollars to the program.
Liberal senator Helen Kroger was astonished the education department hadn't been consulted before the money was allocated.
She said a review of aid effectiveness in 2009 recommended a whole-of-government approach to allocating aid money.
"We actually increased our support of the program, literally 10 times more than the United States has contributed ... you would not be aware of that?" she asked.
Ms Paul responded: "Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with that program."
