Page 4090 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 13 December 2006
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investment in IT will help us meet the education needs of students in the 21st century and prepare them for life beyond school.
The government is committed to quality teaching and learning environments. We have announced a new P to six school in Harrison, which is being constructed to open in 2008, and a new, state-of-the-art P to 10 school in west Belconnen, which is also currently being constructed and which will open in 2009.
Today I have announced that the new college and combined CIT campus for Gungahlin will come forward a year and be opened in 2010. I have also announced a new $54 million P to 10 school for Tuggeranong. Community consultation will commence immediately on the new school, which will be built on the site of the current Kambah high school and open in 2011. This is a further example of the Stanhope government’s commitment to seeing state-of-the-art, modern schools in established areas of Canberra as well as developing areas such as Gungahlin. It is important that our education dollars are spent where they are most needed.
For the government to be able to undertake this record investment in public education we have had to consolidate the number of sites from which we operate. Today’s package does see some schools closing. I know that this is a particularly difficult time for students, parents and teachers in those schools. I would like to assure the Assembly and the community that I did not take any of these decisions lightly.
I acknowledge that this change is difficult. I know that school communities impacted by my decisions will be upset. I know that life for many people in our city will be initially disrupted by these changes. The government is committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for those children who will need to move schools. The Department of Education and Training has been working with schools and families since term 3 to smooth the transition process.
School principals have been, and are still, available for meetings with individual students and their families to discuss transition plans. Departmental officials are working particularly closely with families with special needs students who need to move schools. I have announced today that information days will be held at all ACT government schools on Friday, 15 December; Tuesday, 19 December; and Friday, 2 February 2007. Principals and staff will be available on these days to welcome families to their school, provide information about their school and assist students and their families to consider their options.
The government will be providing financial assistance to each child affected by a school closure, to assist with the transition to a new ACT government school. This transitional assistance will, for example, help with the purchase of new school uniforms. The payment will be made once a student in an affected school is enrolled in another ACT government school. The Department of Education and Training will be working with the Department of Territory and Municipal Services to ensure that school bus routes, and the traffic flow around schools, reflect the changes that I have announced today. New timetables will be notified on the ACTION website by 19 January 2007.
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