Page 3104 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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This budget takes care of all students in all schools. Aside from the investment in all schools through the better schools reforms, we have allocated over $11 million to help non-government school students. This funding includes funding for students with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and students with a low level of English language proficiency. There is also $5 million over four years for non-government schools to establish and upgrade preschool infrastructure and $2.5 million over four years to support access to ICT by non-government school students.
We recognise that the early years of a child’s life are the most important for learning. It is during this time that the foundations for the future are laid. We are committed to ensuring that there are sufficient trained staff in the ACT to care for our children, in line with the requirements of the national quality framework. To this end, the early childhood scholarship program aims to increase the numbers of new workers entering into the education and care sector at the certificate III level, and is funded at $240,000. Additionally, $300,000 has been allocated to provide scholarships for early childhood educators to undertake a university degree in early childhood education.
Mr Doszpot made comment about the scholarships. Again, he made a snide remark in referencing the cost of fee services through CIT. This clearly shows that he has not understood the basis of the scholarship. Again I reference a well-known TV series: explaining the concept of scholarships in early education care to Mr Doszpot could be like explaining the concept of Norway to a dog.
The scholarships provide a range of support services to attain tuition and to cover the cost of the tuition. The cost could be about buying additional educational materials. But there is always support in the centre to backfill. If you had been out and about, you would know that one of the big concerns for services is not only the ability to send their workers off to train but the cost of backfilling.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MS BURCH: It is the arrangement for backfilling. This provides support for employers to backfill. You were either not aware of that, Mr Doszpot, or you failed to accept that as part and parcel of all of our scholarship.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MS BURCH: I was wondering if you were going to pull Mr Doszpot up for his continued interjection, Madam Speaker, but obviously not.
Funding for preschool matters of more than $300,000 over four years will assist parents of children entering preschool to engage in the school community and in their child’s education.
To continue the government’s program of upgrading existing childcare centres, as I said, an additional $2 million will be provided.
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