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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4575 ..

Ms McRae: Not anymore, Mr Hird.

MR HIRD: I am sure that you will, because this morning, as I understand it, all teachers were right on the edge of their chairs with so much excitement. Can the Minister advise this parliament about the detail of the package?

MR STEFANIAK: I certainly can; and they did seem pretty excited, Harold. That is for sure. I think today's announcement is a great achievement for this Government and a really excellent one for all ACT government school teachers and students. The comprehensive information technology package is aimed at keeping Canberra students and teachers at the forefront of the information revolution. It is an investment in our youth, Mr Speaker - a resource that is much valued by this Government. It is about ensuring that our teachers and schools have the equipment and the backing to harness the power of information technology.

The IT package is valued at over $20m - let me repeat that; over $20m - afantastic amount of money, you will all no doubt agree. The key elements of the package, Mr Speaker, are a pentium computer - yes, a pentium - to be provided for every permanent teacher over the next two years under the technology for teachers program; up to 5,000 computers per year for each of the next four years for the use of students in government schools, and at very cheap rates; approximately $12m of Microsoft software provided free of charge to schools; establishment of a dedicated digital network for fast and reliable communications, including Internet access; $5m in IT grants for schools over the next four years to help fund the provision of computers, training and infrastructure; a new school administration system, which means a minimum for each school of about $10,000 per annum - say, for the three smaller schools - for each of the next four years; and also, importantly, support and professional development for staff.

This package will ensure that our education system remains the best education system in the country. An important element of this lies in equipping our young people with highly developed skills to enable them to harness the power of IT creatively and in ways that add value to the lives of all of us. This package of assistance consolidates the premier position of our schools in the Australian education system. It firmly focuses our education system on the future. It lays the groundwork for changes in education delivery, student-teacher relationships and student outcomes.

An extremely important fact about this package, Mr Speaker, is that it is already paid for. It is possible, thanks to the strategic partnerships formed by the InTACT group, along with funding supplementation from the Commonwealth and existing budget funding. This Government places education as a very high priority, and this important announcement made this morning is an indication of our commitment to the young people of this city. Education is an investment in our future, and this IT package is a very significant investment in the future of this Territory.

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