Page 3359 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 17 September 1991
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administrative and support staff and non-salary expenditure. A strong commitment to the provision of more cost-effective support services will be required in order to maintain quality.
My Government will not abandon the non-government schools in the ACT. As I mentioned earlier, my Government has stepped in to reverse a decision included in the forward estimates of the previous Government, but not announced, to withdraw $1.6m in assistance for non-government schools in 1991-92 and $1.9m in a full year. We will continue to fund non-government schools at 50 per cent of the Commonwealth rate. However, some non-government schools which have been receiving additional support under a special cushioning arrangement will be brought into line with other non-government schools. The savings will allow us to meet the ACT's share of higher salaries in non-government schools which result from new teacher career structures.
In line with my Government's commitment to social justice, we will promote the participation of low income families in secondary education. The means test for eligibility in the junior secondary bursary scheme will almost double, bringing it into line with the Commonwealth's criteria for the health care card. This change, which will cost $130,000 in a full year, will assist a wide group of low income families in both government and non-government schools.
The allocation to TAFE consolidates the adjustments necessary to bring TAFE funding more into line with the standard elsewhere in Australia. The rolling three-year funding agreement provides TAFE with a firm base for planning and provision of public and vocational programs. The agreement provides for a reduction of $2.5m in recurrent budget support to TAFE this year. Further reductions of $1.9m will follow in the next two years.
These reductions will be substantially offset by strategies which the institute already has in place. These include increases in student fees announced under the previous Government, the achievement of higher productivity, especially in non-teaching areas, and various entrepreneurial activities. The Government is confident that the TAFE can adjust to its reduced level of budget funding without significantly reducing current levels of service. The initiatives I have announced earlier with respect to school leavers and enrolled nurses will help ensure that overall enrolments in 1992 should be comparable to the level in 1990-91.
Police
Funding for police services is estimated at $53.4m. This represents a modest adjustment downwards as a result of a better understanding of the national versus community policing tasks of the Australian Federal Police. On coming back to office, the Government raised with the Commonwealth
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