Note from Ian Evans Opposition Education Spokesman

Dear Colin

Thank you for your communication regarding education cuts being implemented by the Rann Labor Government. The cuts total around $170 million over four years.

Thanks to the good work of the school communities the Rann Government have now dropped the Work Cover tax on schools but refused 11 times to answer the question in Parliament whether the $17 million savings proposed by the Work Cover tax is still to be obtained from the Education Budget.

The $170 million worth of cuts will cause considerable pain to many schools that will not be able to meet the savings targets without either increasing school fees, and/ or cutting staff and programs.

This is at the same time the State Government has gifted $20 million to foreign universities like Carnegie Mellon.

The Liberal Opposition is aware of the concerns raised and will continue to pressure the government on these issues.


I have enclosed some media releases and Hansard for your interest.

Kind Regards

Iain Evans MP

Member for Davenport

Shadow Minister for Education and Children Services

Baloney

This is an extract from Dr Lomax Smith's current statement on the DECs Budget. Classic Polly Speak.

Those consultations demonstrate the fact that we are a government that listens to the community as we work together in the best interests of children. Indeed, the government has listened to the concerns of teachers, parents and others in the community who have advocated on behalf of their local schools, and decided against imposing a cost on schools for workers compensation claims. As the Premier Mike Rann has stated, this will save schools having to find nearly $17 million in their budgets in the next four years.

So great strategy! Propose education cuts relating to WorkCover and then when people howl at the unfairness of it all, you withdraw that proposal get on your high horse and claim that you are saving the schools $17 million, when in fact there is effectively no change. In addition it obscures the fact that Public Schools are already underfunded and are going to be faced with a whole raft of spending cuts unrelated to WorkCover starting immediately.

All pretty unpleasant.

Have you called a politician to complain?

More Happy News from Dr Lomax Smith

This is a statement of current DECS thinking related to Public School Funding. This was in response to my invitation to attend a meeting of our Governing Council next term where we are going to have to seriously consider raising school fees and other unpalatable issues.

No response on whether she or her representative might come. I even offered cookies.

Thank you for your email regarding education funding and our public schools and children’s services.

Clearly, you recognise the vital role our schools and preschools play in developing the skills and values of children.

Indeed, the Rann Government also acknowledges that the care and education of our children is at the heart of their future success, and the economic and social prosperity of South Australia. That is why, despite claims to the contrary, funding for public education has again been increased for the 2007-08 financial year. Indeed, the Budget increases total spending in education and children’s services by $127.2 million compared to the 2006-07 Budget. The Budget provides on average an extra $708 for every government school student compared to the previous Budget, which is a 6.7% increase. Since 2001-02 spending for each student has increased by $3,606.

This year, we are investing $54.9 million to deliver the latest installment of the government’s 14% pay rise for teachers. However, we are also making major reforms and re-investing savings to focus more support on priorities that will make a difference to the opportunities and skills of young people.


Many of those priorities have been supported by governing councils, school principals, teachers, parents and local communities, as reflected by views contributed during public forums and reviews that were initiated by the Rann government.

Those consultations demonstrate the fact that we are a government that listens to the community as we work together in the best interests of children. Indeed, the government has listened to the concerns of teachers, parents and others in the community who have advocated on behalf of their local schools, and decided against imposing a cost on schools for workers compensation claims. As the Premier Mike Rann has stated, this will save schools having to find nearly $17 million in their budgets in the next four years.


The government is serious about reforming the education system and working with parents and teachers to reshape schooling for the 21st century.

Our public consultations over the past five years have examined how we might better provide services, particularly in early childhood, senior secondary education, school infrastructure and training.

As a result, reforms and re-investment of taxpayers’ dollars include:

· Brand new schools as part of a $216 million Education Works investment in better school buildings and learning environments

* Investment of $28.8 million for 20 new ‘one stop’ children’s centres that bring services together for families and young children
* An $84 million ‘School to work’ reform that includes a new senior secondary ‘SACE’ qualification and new trade schools to foster practical work skills
* Increased investment in literacy and numeracy, and smaller class sizes in the early years.


Working toward reform also requires change that I acknowledge may sometimes be unpopular. However, while a number of concerns have been raised, implementation of proposed savings measures is yet to be finalised. In particular, I draw your attention to the following issues:

Unattached Teachers: Improvements in existing practices and the new local selection policy have resulted in a reduction of permanent teachers waiting for placement in our schools. The department will continue to identify and introduce new ways to manage teachers who are permanently employed, but who do not hold an ongoing position in a school, in order to allocate them to a position of genuine need as soon as possible. Progress is being made and savings already achieved are being reinvested into education.


School Accounts: Details of this proposal are being finalised with stakeholders. However, interest will be paid to schools on balances related to Out of School Hours Care, Vacation Care, canteens, Building Funds, Library Funds, Special Accounts (including Farm Accounts) and proceeds of fund raising activities.

Aquatics and Instrumental Music: No reduction in budget funds has been made despite misleading public comments by some. These valued programs will be revitalised and improved in the best interests of children and current budgets maintained.

We will continue to consult, listen and work with local communities on how we might best achieve and re-invest savings.

If you have any further enquiries about these or other savings for reinvestment announced in last year’s budget, or specific questions regarding your school, please contact your local Department for Education and Children’s Services District Office for information.

Thank you for your interest in our public education system. I have also enclosed a copy of our recent education budget overview, which highlights initiatives to further improve opportunities for children.

Yours sincerely



Jane Lomax-Smith

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES

MINISTER FOR TOURISM

Current South Australia Public School Fees

Look for these to increase dramatically in some cases.

The only alternative is a reduction in services in the schools and I doubt that schools will go down that route.

What annoys me is why should people who are sending kids to public schools dip into their pockets to prop up the State Government Public School System. We already pay a large contribution through taxes.

SA Labor Dipping into Parents Pockets Again

Well what a surprise. School Fee Increases. Thanks Mr Rann and Mr Foley.

PUBLIC schools want to raise fees paid by parents to compensate for State Government cuts to their budgets.

The increases could lift basic fees at top public secondary schools to $700 and charges for primary students to $400 - a rise of about $100 in some cases.

South Australian Secondary Principals Association president Jim Davies said schools were sensitive about charging parents but budget cuts would force them to push for more, saying: "To maintain the quality of what we do - the resources we put into classrooms - we will have to have a good, hard look at what level of increased materials and services charges are appropriate," he said.

"There remains high levels of uncertainty about the funding that will come from the department to schools." Schools still stand to lose $18 million in bank interest over three years from next year.

The Education Department is yet to reveal how it will achieve a $36 million "efficiency dividend" by 2010 and schools have been asked to cut energy costs by $4.3 million within three years. Principals and their governing councils will set new fees for 2008 as early as next term.

This year, the fee recommended by the Education Department was $244 for secondary schools and $182 for primary, although many charge more with parents' and departmental approval.

"There have been schools that have held material and service fees constant and they will probably have a significant jump that goes beyond that," Mr Davies said.

He said his own school - the Australian Science and Mathematics School at Flinders University - usually kept its fee increases in line with inflation.

"This school's fees are around the $650 mark. On the basis of 2.5 to 3 per cent CPI rate, we'd probably look at a $50 increase," he said. Glenunga International High School principal Bob Knight said the school was considering higher fees for optional courses including vocational subjects and the International Baccalaureate. "Anything above the standard we are going to have a look at," he said.

His school was still $100,000 short on last year's budget.

SA Association of State School Organisations executive director David Knuckey said all schools would either have to raise fees or cut services. The association is the peak SA body for governing councils, which individually set fees for their own schools.

"We still don't know at this stage exactly how much money they are going to lose - for many schools it will be tens of thousands of dollars," he said.

But it was not possible to increase fees enough to cover all the money lost from school budgets.

The Education Department sets a minimum fee for public schools to charge their students for "materials and services" - money that covers books and equipment for libraries, laboratories and special subjects.

To make a higher fee legally recoverable, school councils must gain the approval of parents and the Education Department, although they can introduce a "voluntary" charge. SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said many parents failed to pay their fees, regardless of how much they were. "There are lots of schools where it doesn't matter if you put the fees up or not - the parents wouldn't be able to afford them anyway," she said.

Australian Education Union SA branch president Andrew Gohl said fee increases were a "double tax" on parents for education, which the union believed should be free. "Schools have been charging fees for quite some time because, at a federal and state level, there is simply not enough money being put into public education," he said.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said it was up to the department to approve increases in fees. "They have to have all the forms and everything approved by the department - there's a process for it," she said.

Opposition Education spokesman Iain Evans said the minister has "got a problem".

"The only ways schools can recover the money they are losing in the cuts is either to cut staff or put up school fees," he said.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all that fees increase."

Marge Mahal Source of that Giant Sucking Sound?

Everywhere we look and read it is a giant sucking sound as money is robbed from current needs by SA Labor, to feed the insatiable budget requirements of the new Marge Mahal.

Hello we don't need White Elephant Memorials to your vanity, we need adequately funded public schools, suitably paid public servants in the front line like nurses, teachers and paramedics. We need regeneration of the existing medical facilities and we need this now.

Who do you think you are kidding Mr Rannter and Mr Foney.

South Australia Opportunity State