Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to congratulate the Rudd government on the Building the Education Revolution program and say what it means to my electorate. The part of the program I want to talk about is the three elements in this school rollout so that every Australian school will be able to access a part of the government’s investment of $987.2 million during the 2008-09 financial year, $8.5 billion over 2009-10 and $5.2 billion in 2010-11. This is a critical component of the government’s economic stimulus package, giving our schools the attention they so richly deserve. Not only are we giving our kids better facilities, but we are also helping the local tradesmen in their areas to gain work.

Primary Schools for the 21st Century is $12.4 billion to build or renew large-scale infrastructure in all primary schools and the primary components of K-12 schools, including libraries, halls and indoor sporting centres.

Science and Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary Schools is $1 billion to build up to 500 new science laboratories and language-learning centres in secondary schools that can demonstrate both need and readiness and capacity to complete construction by 30 June 2010.

The National School Pride program is $1.3 billion to refurbish and renew existing infrastructure and build minor infrastructure of up to $200,000, subject to the size of the school. It will have a great effect on small country schools.

The further point I want to make is that it is not just the big schools that are being assisted by this program; it is all the schools, and this is where it is so good in the electorate of Lyons. I have some small regional schools that are receiving funds to put in libraries or are adding an extra specialised classroom or are putting on a hall for indoor sports or events. So important also are science labs in larger high schools. If this is the century for science, country children must learn how to deal with the challenges that will be facing them, particularly through climate change and its effects on our country and on the globe. They must learn where food comes from, how to grow or raise it at home, how to cook it and how it affects you. These are important parts of science.

The smaller, more isolated schools are so important to my communities. They make up the hub of those communities, where all the action is. We have lost so many facilities over the years, but our schools remain and have become community centres, adult learning sites, public meeting spaces, internet sites and ideas-breeding places.

I am often asked to go to events that expand the school activities in amazing ways. The children are involved in developing their community from kindergarten age right up to year 10 in many cases. These are our future workers in country areas. We need them to be there to help the remaining small businesses, the farmers, the foresters, the miners and the fishermen to continue the work that keeps our state and other states alive.

We are in a changing world and I believe that we need to help these communities to survive sustainably and train their children to use and take care of the land and the sea in the future. With the new broadband rollout and satellite coverage in most areas, there is nothing the country cannot do that the city is doing now. This government is definitely thinking of the future and I am thankful that it has this vision that all Australians can be involved in that future.