Page 3866 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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If you allow per capita funding, that will not allow that social justice. Under per capita funding there would be a great division between parents who are prepared and who will be forced to make the sacrifices and those who do not care or who cannot afford it and who leave their children not having that access.
That is what social justice is about, and that is what it is about as far as education goes. I think that is a most critical issue for us to deal with, even though I understand the emotional feeling of people who have just had a major cut in education. I have made it quite clear that I do not advocate it; I do not agree with it.
Even though that is the case, the result of what they are trying to achieve will go much further if we allow it to, and it will be a great disincentive, a great reversal of a social justice system that we have now. The most important and most critical element of that social justice is giving every child, independent of their parents' attitude or wherewithal, the access to the tools of life which they get through education.
MR JENSEN (4.56): I will make only a few general points on this issue, and they relate to the need for social justice and equity. Members present at the Estimates Committee will recall the series of questions - and it is unfortunate that the Minister is not here in the house at the moment - - -
Ms Follett: He is listening.
MR JENSEN: Good; I am pleased to hear that, Ms Follett. I refer to the series of questions in relation to the application of the formula on which the ACT Government allocates its portion of government funds for non-government schools. I understand that all the States have abandoned the use of the Federal ERI formula which categorises schools for the purpose of the allocation of Federal funds. It would seem that a number of inequities have crept into that system over time.
It is, I would suggest, most unfortunate, as has already been alluded to, that the Minister has chosen to make this decision before a review, which was commenced under the Alliance Government, has been completed. But, when Mr Wood was asked whether he was prepared to reconsider the use of the formula which has been so discredited and which is no longer used, it was not really clear to me and, I am sure, to other members whether he was prepared to consider a change.
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