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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (2 April) . . Page.. 1215 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

An important aspect of the terms of reference of the Connors report was to make recommendations on how we ascertain the relative needs of students in both government and non-government schools, and allocate funding in a manner that will best meet the needs of all Canberra students.

Mr Pratt's claim that the inquiry attacks the principles of diversity and choice-to suggest that the inquiry is a tool to diminish funding to the non-government sector-is both incorrect and insulting. What this report does do is examine the public funding arrangements for schooling that exist and the principles which underpin them. From my reading of the Connors report, it does not attack diversity, nor does it attack choice. In fact, it supports both. What it does do is promote student need as the more important principle that should underpin the public funding of education.

Mr Speaker, to suggest, as Mr Pratt does, that the only thing Connors tells us is that the ACT has one of the best education systems in the country, makes me wonder whether he has actually read the report. Have you read it, Mr Pratt?

Mr Pratt: Yes.

MS GALLAGHER: All 137 pages?

Mr Pratt: Over the weekend on the beach.

MS GALLAGHER: Have you spoken to anyone about it? What about the P&C, the AEU?

Mr Pratt: While I was sunning myself-it was a lovely read.

MS GALLAGHER: I would have thought that even a quick read of the Connors report would have made it clear that it is a carefully argued and researched piece of work. It provides a wealth of data. Ms Connors has gone to considerable lengths to discuss the principles of public funding policy, and this will go a long way to informing the debate about how decisions on public funding of education are made.

To suggest that this report has only delivered what we already knew is astounding. It is a public report. From the discussions I have had across the sector, I am sure that it has informed the sector about what is going on in education funding. It has raised some new issues. I would be surprised if people were aware of the evolution of school funding, of government models for public funding and private schools, and of understanding new possibilities for pre-schools. All of this is in public papers that were commissioned. Did you know all that, Mr Pratt? I know you are an expert in a lot of things, but I did not know you were an expert in education funding. I certainly do not stand here and pretend that I knew everything that is in this book.

Are we aware of how the Commonwealth funding arrangements and the changes since 1996 have impacted on the sector? Certainly, we can now see from a table that one non-government school has had a 73 per cent increase in Commonwealth funding in its primary school and a 45 per cent increase in its secondary school; and that other non-

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