Page 3902 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 4 December 2007
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education programs and $3.6 million in investment over the next three and a half years in non-government schools, again meeting the election commitment of $1 million a year extra in funding for non-government schools.
We recognise that the move to national testing will see two tests conducted for ACT students in the 2007-08 financial year. The commonwealth government did provide assistance for government schools to be able to sit the test in May of next year. The ACT government has made available $380,000 to non-government schools to ensure that there is no disadvantage to students in the non-government system having to sit two tests in the one financial year.
We have provided additional funds for the Gungahlin Wellbeing Precinct that involves work on the precinct park and stormwater works associated with the precinct surrounding the Gungahlin College. It will also include that precinct and enclosed oval and a sport and recreation centre, as well as a town park. Across my portfolios of education and sport, recreation and planning we are pulling together those agencies to deliver that new precinct for the Gungahlin town centre.
There are, of course, as previous speakers have alluded to, additional funds for the Harrison primary school to complete the landscaping works. It is important that a new school with outstanding enrolment figures already, even before it is opened, is provided with appropriate landscaping to meet the needs of the students in that school. We are also, through the water demand management initiative, providing for the installation of the COMTROL irrigation system in 15 additional government schools.
Dr Foskey asked me during the public accounts process if I could provide information on the 15 schools. I can inform her—and I will do this in writing also—that Lyneham high school, Canberra high school, Belconnen high school, Monash primary school, Stromlo high school, Calwell primary school, Hughes primary school, Curtin primary school, Red Hill primary school, Kaleen primary school, the Malkara school, Miles Franklin primary school, Farrar primary school and North Ainslie primary school are the schools on that list. They are in addition to the 17 schools which are receiving COMTROL units, the appropriation made available through the Department of Territory and Municipal Services. This initiative will allow for the upgrade and repair of school irrigation systems. Up to 30 schools can participate in that aspect of the program.
Looking at the range of other initiatives, I would particularly like to comment on the money for additional specialist PE teachers—as I say, one for each of the north, south and central areas of the city. Their task will be to develop capacity in primary school teachers to deliver quality physical education programs for students over the next three years. From next year all primary schools will have access to these specialist PE teachers. They will be school leader C positions. They were advertised last week and applications closed yesterday. It is planned to finalise the selection process before the end of this year so that these new teachers can commence duty at the start of the new school year.
Their main roles will be to develop quality professional learning in PE for primary teachers, with particular focus on how to develop students’ fundamental movement
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