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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1299 ..

MS McRAE (continuing):

and thoroughly analysed over nearly a year's worth of inquiry into the voluntary parent contribution scheme in the Australian Capital Territory undertaken by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The report of that committee came through in December 1995. There were in that report 17 recommendations, all of which ran with this basic theme: Do we know what we are doing in gathering this money; do we know why we are gathering it; do we know the impact of that on the schools; and what are the results of voluntary school contributions?

The committee did not recommend that the voluntary school contributions be stopped; but the intent of its recommendations was very clear. I will quote just a few of the recommendations to remind members of that intent. The first recommendation was:

... that the Government review per capita grants to schools at all levels to ensure that the grants are sufficient to meet the reasonable needs of the schools for school texts and equipment.

Have we seen that review? No. Have we seen that work? No. Recommendation 4 was:

... that the Department of Education and Training, in full consultation, develop a policy of consistency between schools in identifying the bases upon which voluntary [school] contributions are sought.

Let us have a look at what happened to that one. On notice, earlier this year, I asked a question about how many schools and colleges used the standard letter, which was also recommended in this report; whether copies of letters could be provided, which they were; and then whether a copy of the list of the fees and charges that the schools actually charge could be provided. I remind members that it was in December 1995 that the PAC reviewed and brought to light a quite large area of concern about the management of voluntary school contributions; but this one in particular was focusing on developing a policy of consistency. That was driven after a year's inquiry, after a very high level of concern about what was going on in our education system and why some schools had more money to spend than others.

What happened? That was in December 1995. It is now nearly June 1997. I point out that four schools did not respond to the question. I think the Minister ought to take that into account and do something about it. If the Assembly asks a question, all schools should respond. But I will put that aside for the time being. My information - the information that is available to all members - showed that, of our primary schools, two schools asked for $25, five schools asked for $30, five schools asked for $35, seven schools asked for $40, one school asked for $45, 20 schools asked for $50, two schools asked for $55, 10 schools asked for $60, one school asked for $75, five schools asked for $80, one school asked for $85 and one school asked for $90. This was for the first child at the school.

Where is the basis of consistency? Why is it that now, in 1997, we still have this discrepancy in requests for voluntary school contributions? Where is the debate? Where is the follow-on? Where is the Minister's concern that, in one school in the ACT, a child can be asked to contribute $90 as a voluntary contribution and, in two schools in the ACT, children can be asked for $25? That is in primary schools. In high schools we

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