Page 2129 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2018
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In our 2017-18 budget we pledged over $32 million to a new primary school in Taylor that we expect to be open in 2019. This new, modern school facility will cater for up to 700 students and give them access to some of the best facilities in Canberra. It will have specific facilities for music, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. We have just opened a consultation period with the community to choose a name, uniform and school logo for the new school. The names will be chosen based on their cultural, historical or geographical significance to the local community. I urge all who are interested in having a say in the identity of the north Gungahlin school to log on to the your say website and submit your proposals.
Ultimately we are getting on with the job of building more schools to cater for our growing population. But there is more to do. In this budget we have made provision for 500 new school places across Amaroo, Gold Creek and Neville Bonner schools. We are cognisant of the fact that Gungahlin schools have high enrolment figures. Overcrowding affects educational outcomes and strains the resources of a school. This expansion will take the pressure off and make sure our kids get the quality education they deserve. To this end, we are also expanding the Franklin Early Childhood School. We will immediately expand the school to accommodate current year 2 students in a new 2019 year 3 class. We have also committed funding to plan and consult on permanent expansion to a full primary school to cater for the anticipated growth in Gungahlin. I look forward to this in the future.
We are delivering education infrastructure across the territory. Our government will invest $47 million to build a new primary school in another expanding area in the ACT—the Molonglo Valley. There are many similarities between the Molonglo Valley and Gungahlin, including this government’s commitment to build quality schools in them. The government will also release land in Wright for the building of a private school. Many parents seek diversity in their choice of school enrolment. This will aid them in that. I do, however, have a natural preference for our local public schools.
Existing schools across the territory will receive upgrades as well. Campbell Primary School will receive nearly $19 million to build modern learning facilities as well as replace ageing infrastructure, while Narrabundah College will receive $400,000 to design permanent classrooms. Across the territory, schools will receive $900,000 to help fix leaky roofs.
We are not just investing in schools. Our government will establish a future skills academy for ACT school leavers to ready themselves for future-oriented industries. The academy will focus on skills relating to the STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering and maths. The skills hub will be based at the University of Canberra Lake Ginninderra Senior Secondary College, as well as the Caroline Chisholm High School, giving our school leavers a valuable path into their future.
Carrying on from this, as part of the 2017-18 budget we committed to ensuring that each and every public school student from year 7 will receive an Acer Chromebook. The rollout of this program will continue this year. This ensures that every student has an equal opportunity to access learning technologies as well as preparing Canberra
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