Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (15 February) . . Page.. 40 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

In terms of the figures, obviously some schools are doing very well. Some schools have some wonderful programs up and running as a result of better financial management through the efforts of the school community and as a result of the benefits that flow from school-based management. Examples of those are myriad and range from additional work outside through to computer laboratories, extra training and specific areas for teachers which the school feels it would benefit from. Those are the sorts of things and the sorts of benefits that can flow through to schools by sensibly using this money.

Unlike your comrade John Aquilina in New South Wales, the Labor Minister for Education, Mr Berry, this Government is not saying, "Use it or lose it". Far from it. We are saying, "Well done". But, as a result of a very significant increase over three-year periods during which many schools seem to have been overly prudent perhaps, there are a lot of opportunities, Mr Berry, for some school communities to look at ways in which they can utilise that money, or some of it at least, for the benefit of students now.

I think it is very important that school communities, all the parents, board members and teachers, get involved in looking at, firstly, how they can prudently use that money. I think it is important to make sure you have money to cover contingencies, but, quite clearly, in many instances there are a lot more opportunities now for some of those schools to use some of that money now. It is as simple as that, Mr Berry. I am sorry that you cannot quite understand that.

MR BERRY: I have a supplementary question. I thank the Minister for his answer to the question. Would he now tell the Assembly how much each school and college has available in uncommitted funds for the purpose of essential services? While he is about that, will he apologise to those schools which he misrepresented in his statement to the media?

MR STEFANIAK: I do not think I have misrepresented anything. In terms of exactly what every school would have available for essential services, that is something each individual school would be aware of. The accounts do - - -

Mr Berry: Are you going to give me the answer or not, because it will make you look like a goose when you give me the information?

MR STEFANIAK: The accounts, Mr Berry, do fluctuate. There is one thing you cannot get away from, Mr Berry. Go back to my press release of 2 December, Mr Berry, and the early December figures. I think it was $5.48m in December 1996. I think it was about $12m or $14m a couple of years after that, and then it got to around $20m. Since then we have had money go out and we have had some money come in. You cannot get away from the fact, Mr Berry, that they have done very well. There is a significant sum of money there and that raises significant possibilities for a number of schools to spend some of it for the benefit of their students now, which is what school-based management is all about.

Mr Kaine: Is your advice to these people to blow the lot? Is that right?

MR STEFANIAK: No.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .