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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 886 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

This Government has honoured its commitment to maintain education funding over the next three years. The 1994-95 Government Schooling Budget has been adjusted annually by the CPI to provide an additional $20.3m by 1997-98. This is in contrast to other ACT government agencies, which are required to make substantial savings to ensure the Territory lives within its means.

Within that funding commitment, per capita grants to schools will be maintained in real terms over the life of this government. As well, any school operating funds which are devolved to schools for them to manage under school based management arrangements will also be maintained in real terms.

Mr Speaker, many of the committee's recommendations involve increasing the level of appropriation funding to schools. Since, as I have already said, we have honoured our commitment to maintain funding, any additional funds for schools must come from within the Government schooling program. I have earlier made the point that, neither the Government nor schools are under any obligation to fund any shortfall in discretionary funding due to a fall off in voluntary contributions.

Within that framework and within existing resources the department, in consultation with stakeholders, will continue to work to improve efficiencies and to direct available resources to meet new and emerging priorities including increasing the level of discretionary funding to schools.

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