Page 2621 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 June 2012

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Funding is provided for upgrading the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, refurbishing and upgrading the Canberra Theatre Centre—including the Playhouse and Courtyard theatre—and for kicking off phase II of the Belconnen Arts centre. The Lanyon Heritage Precinct will also get extra funding, following community consultation.

An educated and skilled community

Education has always been, and will always be, a priority for Labor.

Our aim is to ensure that every Canberran is able to reap the benefits of a high-quality education system and reach their full potential.

The ACT has the highest levels of educational attainment in Australia and we continue to commit record levels of funding. This Budget invests $909 million in education and training.

It continues our investment in state-of-the-art school facilities.

We will fund the operations of the Bonner Primary and Franklin Early Childhood schools at a cost of almost $12 million. And we will continue to implement Excellence and Enterprise, our blueprint for high school education.

We also commit $12.9 million towards the restoration of Taylor Primary School, with a view to students returning to the school in 2014.

Labor continues to promote a culture of excellence in teaching so that we can deliver the highest possible standards in our schools, and attract and retain the very best teachers in the country.

The Government established the Teacher Quality Institute and this Budget commits further funding to support the role the Institute plays in boosting the quality of teachers in all our schools—government and non-government.

The budget continues the reforms of the teaching profession set out in the recent enterprise bargaining round, providing incentives for teaching excellence and delivering on the Government’s commitments for $100,000 classroom teachers.

The Government believes quality teaching is the single most important thing affecting a child’s education and that our teachers should be rewarded.

The Government committed $108 million over 3 years to ensure ACT schools can attract and retain the best teachers in the country.

On the recommendation of the Non Government Schools Education Council, this Budget also boosts funding to support students with a disability in non-government schools.


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