Ms WALKER - 2011-05-03
Can you please advise the House on what education initiatives have been funded as part of Budget 2011-12?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in the coming financial year, there is a proposed record spend of $930m on education. That is up from $886m in the previous year. It is a substantial spend; however, I believe we have the policy settings and the directions correct, and we have the right people to deliver it. I acknowledge we have major challenges within education in the Northern Territory.
We employed 400 teaching staff since 2002. In this latest budget, we announced $1.2m for an additional 42 teacher aide positions for Transition classes. The Australian Education Union, through the EBA, identified the need for more resources in the early years, and this budget delivers that. Every school in the urban areas in Darwin, Palmerston, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy, will receive a teacher’s aide to work in Transition classrooms. For the Assembly’s information, teacher’s aides are already working in remote classrooms. We have also invested $1.1m in 50 specialist teachers to keep our top teachers within the classroom.
Today, we are debating issues regarding attendance. The budget also underpins that, particularly our Every Child, Every Day strategy and policy. There is $6.2m in Budget 2011-12 for programs such as the Clontarf Academy which is incredibly successful; wraparound services as part of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan; and enrolment and attendance initiatives under the Every Child, Every Day strategy.
Education is important. Government, together with the community, has identified that in our 2030 strategy. I welcome the debate we are having today about school attendance. I believe education should be front and centre of our endeavours, and it certainly is in our budget expenditure.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in the coming financial year, there is a proposed record spend of $930m on education. That is up from $886m in the previous year. It is a substantial spend; however, I believe we have the policy settings and the directions correct, and we have the right people to deliver it. I acknowledge we have major challenges within education in the Northern Territory.
We employed 400 teaching staff since 2002. In this latest budget, we announced $1.2m for an additional 42 teacher aide positions for Transition classes. The Australian Education Union, through the EBA, identified the need for more resources in the early years, and this budget delivers that. Every school in the urban areas in Darwin, Palmerston, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy, will receive a teacher’s aide to work in Transition classrooms. For the Assembly’s information, teacher’s aides are already working in remote classrooms. We have also invested $1.1m in 50 specialist teachers to keep our top teachers within the classroom.
Today, we are debating issues regarding attendance. The budget also underpins that, particularly our Every Child, Every Day strategy and policy. There is $6.2m in Budget 2011-12 for programs such as the Clontarf Academy which is incredibly successful; wraparound services as part of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan; and enrolment and attendance initiatives under the Every Child, Every Day strategy.
Education is important. Government, together with the community, has identified that in our 2030 strategy. I welcome the debate we are having today about school attendance. I believe education should be front and centre of our endeavours, and it certainly is in our budget expenditure.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016