Page 2865 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 24 June 2009
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through both the government and non-government schooling sector. We do have high retention rates to year 12. Obviously, there is work on improving them even further. We have good vocational education programs; we have a rich curriculum that is delivered through many different schools across the territory. That is a good news story.
The Greens certainly support the sort of funding that is put in at the ACT and federal level to ensure quality education. We are looking forward to the rollout of the stimulus funding to further enhance the physical infrastructure in schools, both government and non-government, across the territory. I note that Trinity school was having some foundations laid on a new building that it will have down in the Brindabella electorate.
I thank all those who contributed to my motion this morning. I wish all the schools the best, particularly those that have received their stimulus funding. It may be quite disruptive in the next so many months when that infrastructure is rolled out, but at the end of the day I believe that it will hugely enhance the opportunities and facilities for children across the territory who attend our schools.
Motion agreed to.
ACTION bus service—concession fares
Debate resumed from 17 June 2009, on motion by Mr Coe:
That this Assembly:
(1) condemns the Government for changing eligibility for student bus fares to force tertiary students to use concession fares from 1 July 2009;
(2) notes the resulting proposed fare increase of 49 per cent on tertiary students who use Faresaver 10 bus tickets; and
(3) calls on the Government to reinstate student fares for tertiary students from 1 July 2009.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.13): The government will not be supporting the motion today. The government is acting responsibly to ensure that all customers contribute to the cost of providing public transport in the ACT. The proposed change in eligibility for school bus fares brings the ACT into line with other jurisdictions.
In the ACT tertiary students already purchase concession fares to travel on weekends and school holidays. Often the tertiary institution’s calendar does not align with the ACT school calendar and this means that at times tertiary students pay a concession fare when travelling to attend class and at other times pay a student fare when not attending university.
The 2009 school year is 40 weeks compared to the university year of approximately 30. This arrangement is anomalous and is confusing, particularly for new students,
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