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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 2929 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the committee has made, in all, 17 recommendations, and they are quite diverse. They range from, first of all, the need to review per capita grants to schools. The main problem with the per capita grants is the relative sums between primary schools, high schools and colleges. I believe that there is a clear view from some schools that those relativities ought to be re-examined and that the per capita grants ought to be reviewed in general.

We have also made a recommendation to develop a policy of consistency between schools in identifying the basis upon which voluntary contributions are sought. There was a huge variation in the evidence from schools about how and why they sought voluntary contributions. One school, in fact, does not seek them. As far as I know it, is the only one. The remainder of the schools do not appear to have any great consistency or, indeed, in some cases, any great logic in how they go about the task.

We have also recommended the establishment of a fund to assist participation in defined excursions and extracurricular activities. Mr Speaker, as I said, the committee was very much of the view that students should not suffer because of any perceived shortcomings, whether financial or ethical, on the part of their parents. For that reason, we felt that excursions very often are an essential part of a modern education for our students and that no student should be disadvantaged by not being able to take part in an excursion. So we have recommended that consideration be given to establishing a fund to ensure that there is that social equity amongst our students.

We have recommended also the establishment of an entitlement for all schools to operational equipment which is essential to education, such as photocopiers. Evidence that we had from one particular school, Mr Speaker, was that they were quite desperate as to how to replace a completely non-operational photocopier. It seemed to the committee that in this day and age a photocopier was crucial; that it was an essential piece of educational equipment; that it was not a luxury or an item that could be provided if and when the funds became available. We believe that there is a hierarchy of needs in schools. Items like fridges, stoves and so on ought not to have as high a priority as essential educational equipment like photocopiers. The schools need to know what they are entitled to, and we must bear in mind that that implies making proper budgetary provision for it.

The committee has also recommended developing a fund to finance core high school and college elective subjects. Mr Speaker, it is a fact that, with a broad-ranging education and broad options available to students, the costs for some schools and some students of some subjects mean that they are not equally available to all students in all schools. We believe that that matter ought to be addressed in the interests of equity in our community and have therefore suggested that a fund be created. We have recommended as well, Mr Speaker, that the Government review the professional development arrangements for teachers with a view to providing adequate funding, again on an equitable basis.

Much of the thrust of the committee's report is concerned with equity between students and between schools, and our recommendations are quite broad-ranging. The voluntary contribution scheme has simply not had this level of scrutiny in the past. I think that this report serves an important function in drawing out the factual position underlying the requests by school communities for voluntary contributions and for subject levies.

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