Page 2145 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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MR MOORE: Exactly. My question is directed to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education, and in this case preschool education. Last night Dr Willmot gave an assurance to a meeting of preschool parents that the cut-off viability figure of 17 was the point at which preschools would be closed, or not closed, and that was reported in the Canberra Times this morning. In your speech today to parents you have implied that there is no such figure or that such a figure has no real relevance. I wonder whether you could explain that discrepancy between your two views.
MR WHALAN: I thank Mr Moore for the question. There is no discrepancy whatsoever between what Dr Willmot said last night to a meeting in relation to preschools in the Belconnen area and what I said today to a rally of parents in the plaza in front of the Assembly. I think it is important that I report to the Assembly Dr Willmot's account of what he said last night, and I will then mention briefly what I said today. You will see that there is no discrepancy between those whatsoever. Dr Willmot said:
I spoke first and explained the problem that we have with declining enrolments and an increasing cost as a result of vacant places. I said this was a special problem in the preschool sector and pointed out that notwithstanding cuts expenditure on the preschool sector was $224,000 above that of last year. I went on to say that the Government was involved in the consultative process with a view to determining a better way to manage the operation of preschools, relating to the need to either reduce full-time preschools to part-time status and some part-time preschools to be decommissioned and the student body amalgamated with another preschool. During questioning I said that once enrolment reached 25 it was our normal practice for preschools to become part-time and once enrolments went below 17 they would certainly discontinue operation as a preschool in the urban area. I was asked what the level of viability was and I repeated that for part-time preschools to stay open they must have more than 17 students. A further question was asked, "Does that mean that all preschools with more than 17 should stay open?". I said that in general yes, but we still have to address the problem of vacant spaces within the whole regions. There were numerous questions on methods of deciding which preschools should be allowed to fall below 17 since enrolments can be attracted from one to another and in response to all of these I said that we had asked the area preschool advisory groups to assist with these decisions.
That is essentially what was reported by me today, when I said to the gathering in front of the Assembly that under the guidelines which have been in existence for eight
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