Page 2390 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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As a result, decisions on the number, type and timing of public schools cannot be finalised by March 2015. Delivery of Government infrastructure will be part of future … considerations.
I am happy to be part of a government that makes sure that public schools in a new development in west Belconnen are taken into account and that we can be sure of the type and timing of public schools in future budget announcements.
I want to talk a little bit about early childhood education. I have noted that at Kippax a new centre is being built. I understand that centre will be operated by the YMCA. I will be very happy to watch the progress on that centre, which should be able to provide other opportunities for families to be able to access early childhood education in our community. Also, as part of the Higgins school redevelopment proposal, there will be a new early childhood centre in future years—another opportunity for families in west Belconnen to access early childhood education.
I want to talk about some of the things that the ACT government does in the early childhood education sector, in supporting that sector to provide the highest quality education and care—that is, the hundreds of scholarships for certificate III and diploma qualifications for people who work in that sector. I have already talked about some of the new centres coming online, and those that will come online in future years.
I want to talk a bit about the federal policy. I do not know what planet Ms Lawder has been sitting on, but there is no way that the ACT government or any state and territory government could fund education in the early childhood education sector. It would be a wonderful thing, and in a perfect world that would be the case. But funding for that sector is in the hands of the federal government. And this is a government that wants to wind back quality in the early childhood education sector, so that parents are having to make a decision to put their children into an education sector without being guaranteed that the people who are caring for and educating their children have the highest qualifications available.
During the conversation in this place last week, she said something along the lines of: “Oh, yes, well, quality is a luxury that only people who are wealthy can afford.” “Quality in early childhood education and care is something that only people who are wealthy should be able to afford.” That is an unacceptable message for us to be sending our families, by saying: “You know what? You don’t deserve a quality education.”
Mr Hanson: Come back with the quote.
MS BERRY: “You don’t deserve quality education and care in the early childhood sector.”
Mr Hanson: Come back with a quote, if you are going to make allegations.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson!
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