Page 2322 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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With those words of the chief education officer from 25 October fresh in my mind, the next day I attended a rally outside this place at which the Minister distanced himself from comments made by his chief education officer. The Minister told the rally that an enrolment of 17 or more students was only one criterion for preschool viability and that overservicing of preschools in the Belconnen area had to be addressed. He said that two viable preschools had to close in the Belconnen south area because current department census figures showed there were 80 vacancies in the area.
I am a bit puzzled, Mr Speaker, because figures are also available which indicate that there are some 53 vacancies in the four preschools in the Belconnen south area which are not targeted for closure. I have a document here which purports to show both the total capacity of preschools and the current number of children enrolled in those preschools in the Belconnen south area and also vacancies. It is curious that the schools that have been mentioned for possible closure have quite low vacancy rates but the schools with high vacancy rates are not targeted for closure. Something does not quite add up.
Things became further complicated last Sunday when the Canberra Times quoted Dr Willmot as saying that areas with "number problems" had to do something about it. They had a choice of options, and one of those options was reducing full-time preschools to part-time preschools. Yet that minute of 6 October, from which I have already quoted, said that the only option was to close two part-time preschools - no ifs, no buts; close two part-time preschools.
I can well understand the chief education officer being quoted in the Canberra Times on the 28th of last month as saying:
We have allowed pre-school operation to become so complicated no bugger can understand it.
Those comments are quite understandable, Mr Speaker. There are two possible explanations for this Government's behaviour: either they have spun a deliberate web of deception designed to confuse and mislead the opponents of preschool closures or the Government has demonstrated appalling and inexcusable incompetence in this area. It is very clear that the Government is attempting to save money and it wants to identify overservicing and act accordingly.
But how much will the Government save by closing down five preschools? A mere $56,000. It is a pretty small amount. I cannot understand why the Minister and his chief education officer have caused so much bad will within the community over such a trifling sum. I could see distinct advantages for keeping small preschools open. Let us face it, part-time preschools provide places for a maximum of 25
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