House:LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY- MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Date:2.45 PM TUESDAY, 8 April 1997 << Previous Page Next Page >> PDF of this document. Member:SPEAKER; Gallop, Dr Geoff Subject:MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST - PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM Page:1204 / 2 MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST - PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM Means Test Free THE SPEAKER (Mr Strickland): Today I received within the prescribed time a letter from the Leader of the Opposition in the following terms - Pursuant to Standing Order 82A I propose that the following matter of public interest be submitted to the House for discussion today. This House supports the maintenance of a quality public education system equally accessible to all children whose parents choose to use it regardless of their family's income and repudiates the view of the Minister for Lands that access to government schools should be means tested. The matter appears to be in order. If sufficient members agree to this motion, I will allow it. [At least five members rose in their places.] The SPEAKER: The matter shall proceed on the usual basis, with half an hour allocated to members on my left, half an hour to members on my right, and five minutes in total to the Independent members, should they seek the call. DR GALLOP (Victoria Park - Leader of the Opposition) [2.45 pm]: I move the motion. In recent years debate about education in Western Australia has proceeded on the basis of bipartisan support for a number of propositions. We have had significant debates in this Chamber about education. However, there has been bipartisan agreement on two fundamental issues. Firstly, it is the Government's role to make available to all children throughout the State first-class educational facilities. Children throughout Western Australia have access to education through 511 junior primary and primary schools; 89 community colleges, community high schools, high schools and senior high schools; 67 education support schools and centres; 59 district high schools; 29 remote community schools; five agricultural schools and colleges; two senior colleges; two senior campuses; and a school of isolated and distance education, including five schools of the air. The proposition that the Government has a responsibility to provide educational facilities throughout Western Australia for all children equally has been supported by both sides of Parliament for many decades. The second proposition is that people are entitled to freedom of choice when deciding the type of educational facility they want for their children. In Australia, at the federal level and the state level, support for the doctrine of freedom of choice is backed by government spending on non-government schools so that that free choice is not encumbered by excessive fees, particularly in the Catholic system which has been built up alongside the government system in << Previous Page Next Page >>
MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST - PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM Means Test Free THE SPEAKER (Mr Strickland): Today I received within the prescribed time a letter from the Leader of the Opposition in the following terms - Pursuant to Standing Order 82A I propose that the following matter of public interest be submitted to the House for discussion today. This House supports the maintenance of a quality public education system equally accessible to all children whose parents choose to use it regardless of their family's income and repudiates the view of the Minister for Lands that access to government schools should be means tested. The matter appears to be in order. If sufficient members agree to this motion, I will allow it. [At least five members rose in their places.] The SPEAKER: The matter shall proceed on the usual basis, with half an hour allocated to members on my left, half an hour to members on my right, and five minutes in total to the Independent members, should they seek the call. DR GALLOP (Victoria Park - Leader of the Opposition) [2.45 pm]: I move the motion. In recent years debate about education in Western Australia has proceeded on the basis of bipartisan support for a number of propositions. We have had significant debates in this Chamber about education. However, there has been bipartisan agreement on two fundamental issues. Firstly, it is the Government's role to make available to all children throughout the State first-class educational facilities. Children throughout Western Australia have access to education through 511 junior primary and primary schools; 89 community colleges, community high schools, high schools and senior high schools; 67 education support schools and centres; 59 district high schools; 29 remote community schools; five agricultural schools and colleges; two senior colleges; two senior campuses; and a school of isolated and distance education, including five schools of the air. The proposition that the Government has a responsibility to provide educational facilities throughout Western Australia for all children equally has been supported by both sides of Parliament for many decades. The second proposition is that people are entitled to freedom of choice when deciding the type of educational facility they want for their children. In Australia, at the federal level and the state level, support for the doctrine of freedom of choice is backed by government spending on non-government schools so that that free choice is not encumbered by excessive fees, particularly in the Catholic system which has been built up alongside the government system in