Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like my good friend the member for Hasluck, I rise to speak about the issue of education, first to congratulate the recipients of the Premier's VCE Awards in my electorate of Higgins: Jessica Ginberg of Korowa Anglican Girls School, Marisa Lucente from Lauriston Girls School, Diana Jackobson of Loreto Mandeville Hall, Mary An Nguyen of Loreto Mandeville Hall and Olena Stepko of the Malvern Russian Community School. From Melbourne High School, recipients were Taqi Ali, Axel Almet, Minto Feliz, Paul Khoo, Vinay Sastry, Rohan Singh, Shiamalan Thanaskanda, Aneesh Tiwary, Ashwin Sharma Umakantha Sarma, Ross Unger, Matthew Wilbraham and John Wong; from Sacre Coeur, Stephanie Lightfoot; from St Catherine's School, Amelia Hamer, Mimi Horman and Jessica Sutherland; from St Kevin's College, Keenan Chiu; and from the King David School, Bryan Ladowsky. It is wonderful that all of these students have achieved such a high standard and have been recognised for that wonderful achievement. For that we pay tribute, as well, to their fellow students, their parents, their peers and to the teachers at the school. It is right to be celebrating excellence and achievement. It is because of the importance of recognising the good work that is done within these schools, I have instituted the Higgins Medal to recognise leadership and service.

But there is a threat to excellence at our schools and, in particular, the schools in Higgins. There is a threat by this government to the funding of those schools and their being able to continue delivering this excellence. It will be a threat because this government has not said that it will not consider another Latham-Gillard style hit list again on our schools. When I look to the indexation funding of our schools, it is not guaranteed beyond 2013. This will have a dramatic impact on 19 out of 42 schools in my electorate of Higgins. I want to briefly mention them: St Mary's school will have a total shortfall by 2017 of $824,473; St Joseph's Primary School, $776,313; the Kurrajong school, $217,946; the Holy Eucharist School, $503,166; Korowa Anglican Girls' School $909,156; Lauriston Girls' School, $1,045,693; Loreto Mandeville Hall $3,476,687; Our Lady of Lourdes School, $273,147; Our Lady of Victories Parish School, $204,860; Presentation College $22,582,329; St Anthony's Primary School, $539,106; St Catherine's School, $617,548 and the list goes on. (Time expired)