Page 1829 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016
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Budget—education
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Education. In yesterday's budget Chief Minister Barr announced funding of $21.486 million to deliver recommendations from Professor Shaddock's Schools for all report. At the time the report was published the government promised that $7 million would be provided for a suite of initiatives including: $3 million to develop and improve withdrawal spaces; $430,000 for innovative approaches for supporting students with complex needs; $50,000 for parental engagement; and $90,000 for online training for teachers and staff. Minister, is that earlier $7 million now included in the $21 million, and have any of these earlier funds actually been expended on the areas the former minister listed in some detail last November?
MR RATTENBURY: As the member knows, the schools for all implementation is underway, but it also will take some time to roll out the full program of works. I will provide to the member a detailed breakdown of what moneys have already been spent and those that are still to be spent out of that program.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, why is there no money in the budget to assist non-government schools to address the issues identified in the Shaddock report Schools for all?
MR RATTENBURY: The schools for all budget initiative targets additional resources to Canberra’s public schools. What I can say is that the Education Directorate is collaborating closely with the non-government sector, working with them on systemic changes to support student wellbeing. With respect to the way that we approach these issues, this is a partnership between all of the school sectors. As the member well knows, the Shaddock report was directed at all three sectors. Certainly, the non-government schools are represented on the schools for all program board and they are influencing the progress and outcomes of schools for all, for all students in ACT schools.
We also know that all schools are funded in accordance with the national education reform agreements and the needs-based funding principles commonly referred to as Gonski. This means there is a funding formula there, and under that funding formula the 2016-17 budget provides more than $15 million in additional public funding to non-government schools. So there is additional funding going to those schools this year. Between that additional funding and the close working relationship, I expect to have a continued positive relationship with the non-government schools to implement this very important reform program.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, is the implementation of Professor Shaddock’s recommendations on track?
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