This is the original happy news release from the Minister

I just love the term efficiency dividend. I am sure you would all be happy if your boss said that they were implementing an efficiency dividend. For you and me that is a pay cut or a redundancy. For the school system, it is money taken out of resources for kids.

June 14, 2007

More funds than ever before are being invested into the State’s education system to benefit children, Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said today.

“Just last week, the Rann Government announced a further boost to the education budget, providing an extra $708 for every government school student, an increase of 6.7%.

“We are now engaged in an ambitious program of reforms to reshape our public education system in the best interests of today’s children and future generations.

"Brand new schools, new Children’s Centres and ‘school to work’ reforms to create trade schools and a new SACE are all aimed at giving young South Australians a better start in life.

“More than $25 million has been trimmed from the Education Department’s central office and we have invested in key areas such as literacy and numeracy and smaller class sizes.

“The State Government accepts that redirecting funds may not be popular but hard decisions are required if public education in South Australia is to deliver quality education for children.

“There is more funding overall for education and every dollar saved is being reinvested in education to improve our schools and opportunities for the State’s children.


"All of these savings were outlined in last year’s State Budget media release, dated Thursday 21st September 2006, and include:

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$17.9 million over three years – schools will no longer retain the benefit of interest on money stored in school bank accounts, so today’s education funding is spent on today’s children.
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$17 million over four years – state and district offices will be restructured and our investment in the SA Solar Schools and water conservation programs will help save energy and water and reduce costs.
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$16.9 million over four years - as part of local management, schools will manage their workers compensation obligations. We anticipate greater local responsibility will reduce the number of staff claims.
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$16.9 million over four years - introduce new ways to manage ‘floating teachers’ or those who are permanently employed by the education department but who do not hold a full-time position in a school.
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An efficiency dividend of $36 million over four years.
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Total savings of $170.3 million over four years.

"Despite these savings for reinvestment, overall the education budget provides, on average, $11 204 for every government school student – an increase of $3 600 in spending per student since 2001-02.”