Mr GUNNER - 2008-09-11
Can you please inform the House on our government’s commitment to school infrastructure upgrades this term?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. He knows that the Henderson government is committed to providing a quality education for every Territory child. To provide that quality education though, we must also provide quality school infrastructure for all our students. We want our schools and our students to be the best that they can be.
Our election commitment was $246m over the next four years in our schools infrastructure upgrades program. This is the Territory’s biggest single investment in an infrastructure program for our schools, and it will deliver the better facilities that we need for our students and teachers right across our Territory.
Seventy-four government primary schools and large group schools, that is a school with over 95 students, will receive $300 000 over the next four years. It will not be the department that will make that decision; that money will go to the school community or school councils, and they will be able to identify, through their school improvement plans, how to use those funds. Going around the Territory, talking to all those school councils and school communities, they have said how much they value that autonomy. This also includes in the bush. They are the ones making the decision where best to use the $300 000. It has been welcomed by parents. It is welcomed by the school councils. It is welcomed by the community, and certainly all of the teachers.
This program will see 85 primary, middle and senior schools, community education centres in the bush, and homeland centres which have never been given any substantial funding, receive significant upgrades that we need as part of our commitment that children will receive an education.
There will be major investments in upgrades in all our remote, urban, middle and secondary schools, and I could go through the list – it is quite significant. We on this side are very proud of what we are rolling out. This is fantastic news. We know education is the key opportunity and it is essential that we continue to improve our schools to meet the needs of our young Territorians, and also for their teachers now and into the future.
Madam Speaker, I will table the schools infrastructure upgrades throughout the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. He knows that the Henderson government is committed to providing a quality education for every Territory child. To provide that quality education though, we must also provide quality school infrastructure for all our students. We want our schools and our students to be the best that they can be.
Our election commitment was $246m over the next four years in our schools infrastructure upgrades program. This is the Territory’s biggest single investment in an infrastructure program for our schools, and it will deliver the better facilities that we need for our students and teachers right across our Territory.
Seventy-four government primary schools and large group schools, that is a school with over 95 students, will receive $300 000 over the next four years. It will not be the department that will make that decision; that money will go to the school community or school councils, and they will be able to identify, through their school improvement plans, how to use those funds. Going around the Territory, talking to all those school councils and school communities, they have said how much they value that autonomy. This also includes in the bush. They are the ones making the decision where best to use the $300 000. It has been welcomed by parents. It is welcomed by the school councils. It is welcomed by the community, and certainly all of the teachers.
This program will see 85 primary, middle and senior schools, community education centres in the bush, and homeland centres which have never been given any substantial funding, receive significant upgrades that we need as part of our commitment that children will receive an education.
There will be major investments in upgrades in all our remote, urban, middle and secondary schools, and I could go through the list – it is quite significant. We on this side are very proud of what we are rolling out. This is fantastic news. We know education is the key opportunity and it is essential that we continue to improve our schools to meet the needs of our young Territorians, and also for their teachers now and into the future.
Madam Speaker, I will table the schools infrastructure upgrades throughout the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016