Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for education. The minister would be aware, from correspondence, of the New South Wales government's decision to axe the Dubbo-based years 11 and 12 School of Distance Education program to the central schools Ashford, Emmaville and Bundarra in my electorate. Minister, given the extraordinary success of this program and the potential overlap in relation to the current national partnerships agreement and the Gonski reforms, can the Commonwealth assist in any way to maintain this program in the interim?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I know that he has an enduring interest and concern about the provision of education in his electorate and through regional New South Wales. I am aware of the matter that the member refers to, although I have not been privy to the details of the reporting of that matter. What I am advised is that it is a matter that concerns the enrolments of the schools in question. I am happy to take that part of the member's question on notice and seek clarification from the New South Wales department in respect of that matter.

What I would additionally say though is that under the National Plan for School Improvement, we would expect to see additional resources going to schools in the member's and equivalent members' electorates where students are drawn from a lower socioeconomic background as may be the case in regional and rural Australia. And it is my expectation that those additional resources that are delivered to schools are intended to support the performance of the students in those schools, including in the schools that the member referred to. It makes perfect sense for programs of that kind to continue in that way.