Page 3154 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 15 September 1993
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MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
QUESTION NO 907
Government Schools - Diplomats Dependants
MR CORNWELL - asked the Minister for Education and Training on notice on 17 August 1993:
(1) Is the Government paying to educate some 350 children of diplomats in the Government school system at a cost of some $1.5 million as claimed by the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations.
(2) If these figures are incorrect what are the correct figures.
(3) Do any of these children have access to the special services aimed at children from non-English speaking backgrounds.
(4) What is the Government doing to obtain funding from the Commonwealth in respect of the cost of these childrens education.
MR WOOD - the answer to Mr Cornwells question is:
(1) Dependents of diplomats receive government schooling on the same basis as the dependants of other ACT residents. The Department has not kept statistics on the total number of dependants of diplomats in the past because there was no call for such data.
(2) See (1).
(3) Since the dependants of diplomats are treated in the same way as the dependants of other ACT residents, they have access to the same services as other students.
In February 1993 there were 407 dependants of diplomats identified as requiring some form of English as a Second Language (ESL) assistance. The number of dependants of diplomats not requiring ESL assistance is not known.
Using the 1991-92 average net cost per student by sector, the cost for these 407 students is estimated to be as follows:
Primary 228 students $3842
$875976
High School 118 students $4708
$555544
College 61 students $5147
$313967
Total 407 students $1745487
(4) The ACT is receiving funds from the Commonwealth by way of general revenue assistance and per capita funding to provide education to these students as it does for other students.
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