Page 2794 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (3.48): As a Labor government, we believe in the importance of a properly funded education system. Canberrans know that only our government prioritises our education system, supporting our teachers and making sure that students are given as many opportunities as possible. We believe in the transformative power of the education system and the importance of supporting students to grow and to learn. In this year’s budget the government has invested $1.4 billion in our education system. From early childhood education to tertiary study, we are increasing access to quality education across the territory.
Equitable access is fundamental to creating a just and fair city, so the government is working to increase access to early childhood education. The first three years of a child’s life are fundamental in the child’s social, physical, emotional, and cognitive development. It is therefore vital that children are not being left behind in this crucial development stage. That is why our government is investing in expanding education to this age group, implementing stage 1 of our commitment to universal free childhood education.
The first targeted phase will include up to 400 dedicated places for families experiencing disadvantage or facing financial hardship. Eligible families for 2020 will be contacted directly to be offered an opportunity to enrol their child into the program. This is the first step towards our policy of 15 hours per week, 600 hours per year of free, universal, quality early childhood education for three-year-old children. This initiative funded through this budget is the first step in rolling out this very significant reform to the early childhood education funding model. It is part of the $2.2 million in funding dedicated to improving equal access to early childhood education.
Canberra’s economy is growing, and more and more people want to call Canberra home. This is a great thing for our city, but with Canberra’s population growing quickly we must address the pressure that this puts on our education system. The ACT government is investing in new education infrastructure, particularly in growth areas like Gungahlin. Two new schools are being built in Gungahlin: a primary school in Throsby and a high school in Kenny. The new primary school in Throsby will be built with the capacity for 450 students and up to 132 preschool students, with the space to accommodate future student growth. It will be ready for students for 2022. In Kenny the new high school will cater for 800 students from years 7 to 10 and be ready by 2023. This will increase education options for families and ensure that children do not have to travel too far to attend school and that our schools do not become overcrowded.
Gungahlin is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and this creates growing demand for places at our local public schools. Population forecasts show the suburbs of Moncrieff, Taylor, Jacka, Kenny and Throsby welcoming 2,300 new children by 2028. This investment will ensure that Gungahlin can continue to grow in a sustainable way while our local schools continue to improve.
As well as building new schools, we are operating existing ones. The government is increasing the capacity of schools across Canberra, particularly in our growth corridor. There will be 200 more places at Gold Creek’s senior campus, as well as a further 350 places at schools across Gungahlin, Belconnen and the inner north.
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