2013 Stronger NSW Public Schools
Member for Penrith, Stuart Ayres encourages parents, students and carers of school children to visit the NSW Governments back to school web site: www.backtoschool.nsw.edu.au
The site offers a range of fact sheets and other handy back to school information for parents and students, including information on the changes that are being made to build a stronger public education system here in NSW.
The NSW government is committed to education and has a record $53.5 billion investment in education over four years, well above the former Labor government’s contribution of $46 billion during the previous four years.
Local school principals have been provided with more decision making powers allowing them to be supported by input from parents and the broader community and having greater authority over their schools budgets and staffing at a local level.
Diverse and exciting opportunities remain for all public school students including participation in representative school sport, the Schools Spectacular, Art Express, Premier’s Spelling Bee and the Premiers Reading Challenge.
Making public schools stronger include:
- Maintaining existing class sizes under the current agreement
- Investing $69 million to support students with special needs
- $318 million on school maintenance an increase of 22% in two years
- Slashing the bureaucratic red tape that used to get in the way of principals being able to make decisions
- $204 million investment over 5 years to improve student performance
- 300 new postgraduate scholarships to get more teachers supporting special needs students
- 50 student support officers to promote anti-bullying and to improve student wellbeing in high schools
\”While the Federal Government has not committed one single dollar to the Gonski reforms or indicated what the cost will be to the NSW taxpayer the O’Farrell Government is getting on with the job of investing wisely in our Public Schools.\” said Mr Ayres.
\”We have listened to what principals, teachers, parents and students told us needed to be fixed and we are making those changes.\” said Mr Ayres.
