Page 4372 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991

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MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Collaery for the question, Mr Speaker. I will take that question on notice, although I advise Mr Collaery that the Government has not given consideration to possible boxing control legislation. The surrounding matters he addressed, I think, deserve a considered reply, and I will make sure he gets one.

Teacher Applications

MR HUMPHRIES: My question is directed to the Minister for Education. Is the Minister aware of claims that students at the University of Canberra who have lodged applications for jobs with the Department of Education have been waiting for four months for replies from the department, despite the fact that applications for these jobs closed in July? Will the Minister undertake to investigate the claims, and will he provide an assurance to the house that in future students who apply for jobs with the department will be kept properly informed about the status of their applications?

MR WOOD: I presume that Mr Humphries is referring to prospective teachers from the college. I am not surprised that a period of four months has passed; the Education Department these days, as it did when he was Minister, does advertise fairly early in the piece for teachers. As to the processes after that, I cannot give him an answer. If they are graduating teachers who are leaving college, as surely they must be, it could well be, as is the practice, that the success of their applications will depend in substantial measure on the quality of their pass.

Mr Humphries: Some of them might have finished in July.

MR WOOD: If that is the case, they do need some indication as to whether their applications were successful or unsuccessful. I do not know the detail of the department's processes as they select their teachers, but I will find out and get back to you.

Non-Government School Funding

MR STEVENSON: My question is to Mr Wood and refers to the Labor Party decision to make funding cuts of between 20 and 50 per cent to three non-government schools. Has Mr Wood asked people in the general community whether they support such budget cuts to non-government schools? If so, as our poll results of over 600 people throughout Canberra show that 59 per cent are opposed to budget cuts for non-government schools while only 35 per cent are in support, will the Labor Party re-evaluate its position?


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