Page 4005 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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The lack of consensus of views is, of course, highlighted by the two minority reports in the MACPE report - the first written by Trevor Cobbold and Ross Dalton of the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations Inc., and the second written by Marguerite Walshaw of the Canberra Pre-School Society.
The second disappointment concerns the nature of the task referred to the council by the Minister for Education and Training, Mr Wood. In his reference, Mr Wood set the parameters for the consideration of what education services would be provided to students at government schools in the future. His reference was:
To provide advice, as soon as it is practicable and possible, about how we can continue to provide high quality educational services to meet the genuine educational needs of all students and at the same time respond to the twin pressures of shifting student populations and reduction in resources for education.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Assembly recently debated a matter of public importance proposed by me about managing school enrolments, so I do not propose to dwell on that issue again today. What I would like to spend a little time on is the presumption that the Minister made, in his terms of reference to the council in December 1992, that a reduction in resources for education is perceived and, presumably, continually perceived for the future.
I have said before that decisions made by other jurisdictions in Australia about the amount of resources allocated to education place the ACT at a disadvantage in the eyes of the Commonwealth Grants Commission, in that we are always seen to be above the national average in terms of our expenditure on education. However - and I have said this before also - we do not have government in Australia by grants commission; and, if the ACT Government wishes to place a higher priority and value on expenditure on education in the ACT ahead of other areas of its responsibility, then it is free to do so. It is unfortunate that, to some degree, the work of MACPE has been constrained due to its need to consider a forecast reduction in resources for education. It is also my belief that, in general, resources for education will be more generously allocated at some time in the future by all jurisdictions, in response to a number of factors. These will include an examination of the consequences arising from reduced levels of funding for education - in particular, the effects felt by particular students or particular groups of students - and from improving economic indicators for our country as a whole.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, after this report was tabled I sought and gained a meeting with the chair of MACPE, Ms Di Mildern, to discuss the issues contained in the report. I look forward to hearing the Government's response to the report, as indicated by the Minister for Education and Training, Mr Wood, in these remarks on the tabling of the report on 18 May this year:
While I have received the report, I must emphasise that it has not yet been considered by Government and is not Government policy. There are also some aspects of the report which impinge on other ministerial portfolios, and I shall refer these to the relevant Minister for consultation and advice.
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