Page 2624 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 June 2005
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counsellor, who works in another school on the other two days a week, is concerned that she is not able to make the impact that she could if she were there five days a week. The school cannot cobble together some more staff money to get the counsellor five days a week. There is a problem with finding people who have the appropriate qualifications both as a teacher and a counsellor to act as a counsellor in the schools and as a result they feel that the children in their community who are at risk are missing out.
The government talks a lot about doing more for pastoral care and for the care of students in the high school system, and there was a promise of some money in the last budget. The minister could not remember the government’s promises, and I was entertained when reviewing the Hansard to come across this little exchange:
DR FOSKEY: Correct me if I am wrong but I thought the government promised a great deal more for these student support funds. Would I be right? $12 million?
Ms Gallagher: No, I don’t have my election policy here, but it was certainly nowhere near $12 million.
The conversation goes on backwards and forwards and Ms Gallagher ends up by saying:
I am just trying to recall the election document. I think it was half a million a year, $2 million over four years.
So I think we need to go back to the Australian Labor Party policy at the last election. Under the heading “High schools at the centre of our approach” the policy document states:
Labor knows that high school presents many challenges for students. High schools must be a place where students learn and develop in a safe and supportive environment. In a major investment in high school teaching resources and care, Labor will provide in excess of an additional—
What was the figure, Mr Speaker? Not $2 million but $12 million. Dr Foskey was right. Go to the top of the class, Dr Foskey—
… in funding for increased focus on pastoral care, student support and student welfare.
But this money is not forthcoming and the people in the high schools are not seeing it. Probably one of the reasons they are not seeing it is that the minister has forgotten what their commitment was, and a little later I will talk about curriculum. From what we have seen, there probably needs to be some money in next year’s budget for remedial studies for the minister, both in education policy, as expounded by the Labor Party, and in statutory obligations, as has been outlined by Mr Seselja.
Mr Seselja also touched on voluntary contributions. He said that there were assurances from the minister that no-one would miss out on excursions. The trouble is that people are missing out every day in schools because of the funding arrangement whereby voluntary contributions actually contribute to mainstream courses. I have used the example of art supplies purchased through voluntary contributions. Another example that was recently brought to my attention by a parent is that the voluntary contributions and
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