Mr BURKE - 2006-05-03
With a record $630.7m budget, can the minister tell the House what the priority of the government will be in its education expenditure throughout 2006-07?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. He has a strong interest in education. I can assure him, the House and all Territorians that the No 1 priority for this government in education is lifting education outcomes for our students.
This Budget 2006-07 provides for a number of literacy and numeracy programs. I spoke briefly before about the Accelerated Literacy Program: $4.4m over this year, jointly funded with the Australian government. It already extends across 27 of our schools in the Northern Territory, 14 of those in rural and remote communities; with 3300 students, 150 classes, training for 220 teachers - and that will expand this year.
We will also fund $300 000 for bilingual education. We continue to support the 2001 election commitment of 100 extra teachers in the system above formula. That comes at a cost of $8.14m: $1.85m spent on providing an above formula 19 student counsellors across our secondary system; $2.1m on providing subject specialist teachers to lift teaching resources for bush and rural schools ...
Mrs Braham: Who are they going to teach? Where are the kids?
Dr Lim interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: A member of a former government who did nothing for education in rural, remote areas and indigenous students, has the hide and hypocrisy to stand here and fling off at all ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … around the edges - never did a thing.
Mrs Braham: Oh, rubbish! Have a look at the attendance records. There were 500-odd kids in Braitling, there are 300 now. What are you doing?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: The government, you remember - and if I were you, I would keep my head down in this, Loraine, because you have a shameful record when it comes to dealing with indigenous education.
A total of $550 000 will be spent on the collaborative trial sites program, bringing - guess what? - something these blokes never dreamed of - secondary education to rural and remote areas. Hello, hello! This is a high school …
Mrs Braham: Have you been to the secondary unit at Papunya lately? There is no one there.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling! Order!
Mr STIRLING: We are sending black kids to high school. Well! All of these initiatives will lift student outcomes, and they are just a few of the initiatives funded in this record budget.
In addition, of course, the decisions regarding middle years are now being finalised by Cabinet and will be announced in the near future. I can assure this House that achieving better educational outcomes and lifting students results will not only remain our No 1 priority for this year, it will also be the driving decision-maker behind any decisions on middle schools.
I say to the member for Brennan, because he comes from the Palmerston area, the additional $9m-plus is there this year for capacity at Palmerston High School.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mills: Oh, good on you! It has taken four years!
Mr STIRLING: He looks forward, as I do, to seeing this rolled out. It may stop the member for Blain getting up every few sittings and asking where that money is and when is it going to be spent. I will ask the member for Blain to come with me when they start knocking down walls or whatever they are going to do there in building the school. The members for Brennan and Blain and I can all stand there together and watch them go to it.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. He has a strong interest in education. I can assure him, the House and all Territorians that the No 1 priority for this government in education is lifting education outcomes for our students.
This Budget 2006-07 provides for a number of literacy and numeracy programs. I spoke briefly before about the Accelerated Literacy Program: $4.4m over this year, jointly funded with the Australian government. It already extends across 27 of our schools in the Northern Territory, 14 of those in rural and remote communities; with 3300 students, 150 classes, training for 220 teachers - and that will expand this year.
We will also fund $300 000 for bilingual education. We continue to support the 2001 election commitment of 100 extra teachers in the system above formula. That comes at a cost of $8.14m: $1.85m spent on providing an above formula 19 student counsellors across our secondary system; $2.1m on providing subject specialist teachers to lift teaching resources for bush and rural schools ...
Mrs Braham: Who are they going to teach? Where are the kids?
Dr Lim interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: A member of a former government who did nothing for education in rural, remote areas and indigenous students, has the hide and hypocrisy to stand here and fling off at all ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … around the edges - never did a thing.
Mrs Braham: Oh, rubbish! Have a look at the attendance records. There were 500-odd kids in Braitling, there are 300 now. What are you doing?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: The government, you remember - and if I were you, I would keep my head down in this, Loraine, because you have a shameful record when it comes to dealing with indigenous education.
A total of $550 000 will be spent on the collaborative trial sites program, bringing - guess what? - something these blokes never dreamed of - secondary education to rural and remote areas. Hello, hello! This is a high school …
Mrs Braham: Have you been to the secondary unit at Papunya lately? There is no one there.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling! Order!
Mr STIRLING: We are sending black kids to high school. Well! All of these initiatives will lift student outcomes, and they are just a few of the initiatives funded in this record budget.
In addition, of course, the decisions regarding middle years are now being finalised by Cabinet and will be announced in the near future. I can assure this House that achieving better educational outcomes and lifting students results will not only remain our No 1 priority for this year, it will also be the driving decision-maker behind any decisions on middle schools.
I say to the member for Brennan, because he comes from the Palmerston area, the additional $9m-plus is there this year for capacity at Palmerston High School.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mills: Oh, good on you! It has taken four years!
Mr STIRLING: He looks forward, as I do, to seeing this rolled out. It may stop the member for Blain getting up every few sittings and asking where that money is and when is it going to be spent. I will ask the member for Blain to come with me when they start knocking down walls or whatever they are going to do there in building the school. The members for Brennan and Blain and I can all stand there together and watch them go to it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016