Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 43 ..
MR STEFANIAK (continuing):
The Government will, however, continue to subsidise the program this year because it would certainly be unfair not to do so in respect of those students who have enrolled in good faith.
I should point out that in New South Wales all Year 12 evening classes are conducted by TAFE. There are also other avenues for mature age students to gain entry to universities. They include preparation schemes run by the ANU and the University of Canberra. Distance education courses are organised by the Open Learning Agency of Australia, a consortium of universities where full credit into universities can be obtained. The fees there are similar to HECS.
I think the member's question has been well and truly answered. If he looks at those figures in terms of how many actually got certificates last year and how many enrolled this year, he might find that there could be an increase in terms of how many get a Year 12 certificate. I would also point out to Mr Osborne that there are a large number of community education courses which are run at cost and which offer a vast range of subjects, including those for which people enrol at evening colleges. I am endeavouring to get those figures, and I will be interested to see whether some of this great drop-out which Mr Osborne talks about has been taken up there.
MR OSBORNE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I should get the Minister to repeat that answer, but I will not. Minister, how does it compare to the way the program was run last year, given that in the Canberra Times on 9 February you said that you had heard absolutely nothing about the evening courses being in trouble?
MR STEFANIAK: Mr Osborne, I think I have given you an incredibly comprehensive answer in terms of the evening colleges at this point of time, on the information that has been given to me. I have also indicated how many students last year got a Year 12 certificate, and I pointed out that the numbers enrolled this year in that particular course are not very different from the numbers of students who were keen to get a certificate and in fact obtained one last year.
MR WHITECROSS: My question without notice is to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Chief Minister and Minister for Health and Community Care. I refer to Mr Connolly's motion on health centres and the provision of 100 per cent bulk-billing doctors, which was discussed last year, and to Mr Osborne's action on 6 December last year to adjourn the matter to give Mrs Carnell a couple of months to get her act together. Mrs Carnell, what action have you taken since 6 December to attract 100 per cent bulk-billing doctors to our community health centres, and how many doctors have you recruited?
Mr De Domenico: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: Is that not on the notice paper? Is Mr Whitecross pre-empting debate?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .