Ogilvy Bernie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ogilvy Bernie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:12048] 
7.  
BERNIE OGILVY (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Is he satisfied that schools receive sufficient funding; if so why? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Never. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Is he satisfied that the total operating deficit of schools that are in the red has increased by over 50 percent from $21 million in 1998 to $33 million in 2002 covering a massive 40 percent of all our schools and that the average debt per school has increased from $24000 to $32000 over that same period; if he is not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think the member will find that those numbers are relatively small differences in large amounts. Many schools now have an operating turnover of over a million dollars and frankly being $5000 over or under does not make much difference. 
Lynne Pillay 
: What additional support have schools received since 1999? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Quite a lot. There has been about $193 million or 28 percent more operational funding in schools in 2004 compared with 1999. Taking into account roll growth and inflation the increase in that figure in real terms per pupil is 10.1 percent. There has been other funding such as an extra $57 million for laptops for teachers $128 million a year for teachers over and above roll growth$43 million in targeted literacy programmes this year alone $87 million extra in teacher professional development and in the coming financial year tens of millions of dollars for high-speed Internet access through Project Probe. This Government has been putting an enormous amount of extra funding into education to the extent where the “member for Dipton” says that some schools are awash with cash. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why did the Minister do a deal with the Post Primary Teachers Association to increase non-contact time for teachers but refuse to pay salaries for the teachers needed to fill the gaps with the effect that many secondary schools are starting late 1 day a week finishing early 1 day a week illegally taking an extra day in mid-term break and increasing class sizes significantly in order to cover the gap that he has left? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The Government has put approximately a thousand extra teachers into secondary schools in order for them to focus on contact time amongst a number of other issues. Some schools have chosen to run down their class sizes; some schools have chosen to have higher class sizes— 
Hon Bill English 
: Increase it not cut it. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No some have chosen to run down their class sizes—to decrease their class sizes—and to offer fewer options. That is a call for the schools to make; it always has been. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Will the Minister confirm that in the Government’s response to the Education and Science Committee report on decile funding it is stated: “Links between any resources and educational outcomes are difficult to identify and measure.” and that it is therefore really not possible to claim one way or the other whether schools are receiving sufficient funding? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I would not rely entirely on that response but I notice the Minister of Finance is nodding. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: What does the Minister expect the total deficit for schools in 2003 to be noting there has been a downturn in foreign student numbers and as he has pointed out an increase for instance in the cost of information technology upgrades and in support staff salaries which together will put further pressure on the financial position of schools? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I want to indicate that I am never satisfied with the amount of funding and that I will keep on working to get more and more funding because I do believe it is appropriate that we wherever possible better resource our schools. But I think the member has to be a little careful with his facts. In 2003 the number of foreign fee-paying students in State secondary schools went up significantly compared with 2002.