Page 1623 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 April 2005

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(1) Further to the reply to question on notice No 29, why has the number of scholarships offered to indigenous students in Year 12 dropped from six in 2000-01 to two in 2002, 2003 and 2004;

(2) Will the Government consider increasing the number of scholarships on offer back to the six originally offered in the program when introduced by the former Liberal Government in 2000; if so, will this be considered in the context of the 2005-06 budget; if not, why not.

Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) The nature of the scholarships for indigenous students funded by the Department of Education and Training has changed significantly since 2000.

The original Charlie Perkins Scholarship funded by the department offered six scholarships of $500 to Indigenous students completing Year 12 over two years ($1500 per year). Owing to difficulties in attracting applicants the Charles Perkins Scholarships was established in 2002 in conjunction with the University of Canberra. These new scholarships are jointly funded by the department and the university. They provide two scholarships at $2000 per person per year (total value of $4000 per year) for Indigenous undergraduate students.

(2) An agreement has been made with the Ngunnawal Centre and University of Canberra to continue the Charles Perkins Scholarship for another three years (2005-2007).

Education—indigenous students
(Question No 255)

Mrs Dunne asked the Minister for Education and Training, upon notice, on 9 March 2005:

Further to the reply to question on notice No 57, what further analysis as mention in paragraph 2(b) will be undertaken to assist schools in providing supportive learning environments for indigenous students.

Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

There was no intent to undertake further analysis of the suspension data. What was proposed was future research about supportive learning environments. The department is exploring the possibility of establishing a partnership with a university to examine this issue and that of Indigenous student engagement in schooling.

Australian Technical College
(Question No 256)

Mrs Dunne asked the Minister for Education and Training, upon notice, on 9 March 2005:

(1) What negotiations, if any, has the Government had with the several stakeholders involved in discussions about the proposed Australian Technical College at Queanbeyan;


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