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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3836 ..
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
QUESTION NUMBER 459
Schools and Colleges - Literacy Improvement Programs
For each year since self government, how much funding has been allocated to literacy improvement programs in (a) primary schools, (b) high schools and (c) colleges.
MR STEFANIAK - the answer to Ms McRae's question is:
Whilst recognising that schools have a range of other educational responsibilities, the core business of our schools is to develop our students' literacy and numeracy competence so that they can be productive members of our community. Therefore the entire education budget should be considered in this context.
In addition the Reading Recovery, Learning Assistance and ESL Programs target students with special learning needs in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Funding details for 1990-1997 are attached.
In 1997, $10m is allocated specifically to further focus on literacy and numeracy development:
. Approximately $5m targets, through the Learning Assistance Program, students from K-10 with literacy and numeracy learning difficulties. This includes provision for the Reading Recovery program which specifically assists students in their second year of schooling who are seen to be at risk in the area of literacy development.
. The First Steps professional development program is being offered to all ACT primary schools and two high schools over the next four years. It is expected that the program will support and enhance the work already being done to improve literacy for all students. In all there are 35 trained tutors across the 68 primary schools and 2 high school tutors. Over the four years, the program will receive over $300,000, with more than $100,000 being spent in 1997, the first year.
. $4.46m targets ESL students in the ACT. This includes a focus, this year, on high school teaching through the LUAC program (Language for Understanding Across the Curriculum).
. In its 1996-97 budget the ACT Government established the Literacy and Numeracy Fund of $1.2m, which is estimated to generate $45,000 in the current financial year and $90,000 per annum thereafter. A Reference Group, comprising representatives of all stakeholders, recommended that in its first year the money be used to fund a pilot literacy project
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