Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Wednesday I visited Budgewoi Public School on the Central Coast to open six new classrooms that were built under the Building the Education Revolution program. The school actually spent $3.2 million under both the National School Pride and Primary Schools for the 21st Century components of the BER program. It was wonderful to see these absolutely fantastic classrooms and to see the young people in those classrooms in a quality learning environment.

Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everywhere around Australia. It is fantastic.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everywhere around Australia. Previously they had been in rusty demountables that leaked. And when they heard about the Primary Schools for the 21st Century they thought that maybe they might get some of the state-of-the-art demountables that are now available. But when they learnt that they were getting these six absolutely fantastic classrooms, they were ecstatic. But I might add that they were not as ecstatic as they are now that they are learning in this wonderful environment that promotes quality learning.

One or two of the classes in those classrooms are special ed classes. I spent some time with the young students in those classrooms. They took great pleasure in showing me how they can write and the type of the activities that were taking place in their classroom. I had some words to say at the opening of these classrooms at Budgewoi Public School but, unfortunately, I was unable to use these words because I followed the school principal, who said: 'This is the best thing that has ever happened to my school.' She talked about how there were over 124 people employed on the building of the project at the school. She talked about how it had come about as a result of government's response to the global financial crisis: they looked at what was needed in the community, they created jobs and at the same time they delivered these wonderful facilities to the school she is principal of. I thank the government on behalf of the school for investing in their school and providing these students with such a quality educational facility.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.