Mr MITCHELL - 1995-05-25
Given that he is not attending today's meeting of the Education Ministers Council in Canberra, can the minister tell the House what education issues are to be raised at that meeting on the Territory's behalf?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am aware of the very close and caring interest he takes in education, particularly in regard to his local schools. I am pleased to see that students from Millner Primary School are in the public gallery this morning.
Obviously, the opportunity to meet with my state and federal colleagues is one that I would like to have been able to take rather than sitting here at this hour this morning. However, although I was unable to attend, nonetheless our delegates will raise a number of issues that are of vital concern to all young Territorians who are in the school system and those who are in training. I have highlighted here issues of particular interest. Firstly, there are the Working Nation cuts - the $120m. We are still waiting for some detail on to what that will mean for the Northern Territory and for projects like SkillShare, including where SkillShare courses will be limited in the number of hours available to assist young people in attaining work status.
The AVTS, the Australian Vocational Training System, was trialed in the Northern Territory in a couple of places. Alice Springs High School was one. A training program in work preparation was run in Darwin high schools. They were trial projects. The next question relates to the ongoing funding support that might be available to schools and how we can access such support. The concern there is also about the non-involvement of the school
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education system in deciding which programs are funded. That is another question for young Warren Snowdon, one would think. He is probably at this meeting, exercising ...
Mr Manzie: Getting himself in the photos.
Mr FINCH: Getting himself in the photos!
As the Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Education, he will be there, hovering around the edges. I trust that he is able to explain to the ministers and to people in the Territory the outcome of the Aboriginal Education Program, AEP. Yet again, that is being reviewed very coyly. The end result of that will be probably that the Territory's funding for it, which is formulated on a per capita basis, will be reduced by some 40%, from $12m to $7m or $8m. Millner Primary School relies on the AEP to assist its young Aboriginal students, as do most schools in the Northern Territory. They will be very interested to learn what the outcome is there.
I think it pretty surprising that we have not had a reaction from the member for Barkly. She takes an interest in women's affairs, but she has not commented yet about Warren Snowdon's slashing of the Gender Equity Program. In regard to the task force on school statistics, I think that, at long last, we have had a win in relation to the Northern Territory's approach to statistical information. At long last, equity programs across schools will reflect the real disadvantage of our remote Territory schools. The other matter for Warren that we keep talking about here is ESL programs for Aboriginal students. Those are a few of the issues that will be put forward on my behalf at the meeting today.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am aware of the very close and caring interest he takes in education, particularly in regard to his local schools. I am pleased to see that students from Millner Primary School are in the public gallery this morning.
Obviously, the opportunity to meet with my state and federal colleagues is one that I would like to have been able to take rather than sitting here at this hour this morning. However, although I was unable to attend, nonetheless our delegates will raise a number of issues that are of vital concern to all young Territorians who are in the school system and those who are in training. I have highlighted here issues of particular interest. Firstly, there are the Working Nation cuts - the $120m. We are still waiting for some detail on to what that will mean for the Northern Territory and for projects like SkillShare, including where SkillShare courses will be limited in the number of hours available to assist young people in attaining work status.
The AVTS, the Australian Vocational Training System, was trialed in the Northern Territory in a couple of places. Alice Springs High School was one. A training program in work preparation was run in Darwin high schools. They were trial projects. The next question relates to the ongoing funding support that might be available to schools and how we can access such support. The concern there is also about the non-involvement of the school
Page 604
education system in deciding which programs are funded. That is another question for young Warren Snowdon, one would think. He is probably at this meeting, exercising ...
Mr Manzie: Getting himself in the photos.
Mr FINCH: Getting himself in the photos!
As the Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Education, he will be there, hovering around the edges. I trust that he is able to explain to the ministers and to people in the Territory the outcome of the Aboriginal Education Program, AEP. Yet again, that is being reviewed very coyly. The end result of that will be probably that the Territory's funding for it, which is formulated on a per capita basis, will be reduced by some 40%, from $12m to $7m or $8m. Millner Primary School relies on the AEP to assist its young Aboriginal students, as do most schools in the Northern Territory. They will be very interested to learn what the outcome is there.
I think it pretty surprising that we have not had a reaction from the member for Barkly. She takes an interest in women's affairs, but she has not commented yet about Warren Snowdon's slashing of the Gender Equity Program. In regard to the task force on school statistics, I think that, at long last, we have had a win in relation to the Northern Territory's approach to statistical information. At long last, equity programs across schools will reflect the real disadvantage of our remote Territory schools. The other matter for Warren that we keep talking about here is ESL programs for Aboriginal students. Those are a few of the issues that will be put forward on my behalf at the meeting today.
Page 605
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016