Page 569 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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Quality education for our children and young people requires us all to make that commitment, and not just for the short term. The ACT government we have heard has a six-year agreement with the commonwealth to deliver a national plan for school improvement and to move to needs-based school funding under the national education reform agreement. This approach to needs-based funding for schools is essential if children and young people in the ACT are to be equipped with the education skills required to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
Given the changes to enrolment numbers and student characteristics over the previous six years, the next six years to 2019 may significantly impact on the amount of needs-based school funding required of the Australian and ACT governments to respectively meet their commitments under the agreement. Providing greater certainty and security for the funding of the schooling agreements allows for funding to be changed to reflect both changes in enrolment numbers and student characteristics.
Given the importance of ensuring the national plan for school improvement is appropriately resourced, I am sure all parties will abide by the terms of the national education reform agreement, and I note the agreement provides for any amendments by written agreement between the Prime Minister of Australia and the Chief Minister of the ACT.
The ACT government has committed to the Gonski reforms for education funding. The ACT government has met its funding requirements under the agreement through the 2013-14 ACT budget ensuring all schools receive an increase in existing per capita funding levels of at least three per cent per annum. The ACT government has already taken a number of steps to implement and meet the commitments agreed by the Australian and ACT governments through the national education reform bilateral agreement.
To assist ACT government schools in the transition to new funding arrangements, the new school funding model will be implemented over the next six years. The national plan for school improvement sets out a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a better and fairer schooling system. It is a plan to make sure that every kid gets the most out of their time in the classroom and, just as importantly, the social development of the playground and the wealth of development opportunities offered by our schools.
We know the ACT has one of the highest levels of educational achievement of all the Australian states and territories. This is something the ACT can be proud of for all our children and young people. The ACT government provides a number of different school settings to the ACT community. In addition to primary and high schools, the ACT government provides educational settings in early childhood schools, P-10 schools, including middle years 6 to 8, and secondary schools years 11 and 12. This system produces greater educational outcomes for students attending ACT government schools, as evidenced by higher retention rates and the pride so many of our students have in their schools and their communities.
The ACT government is continuing to use the student-centred appraisal of need method for the allocation of a loading for students with disability consistent with the bilateral agreement. The student-centred appraisal of need provides a consistent
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