Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

$396.3m Budget funding for schools

The 1999-2000 Budget provides an extra $396.3 million to schools, taking total recurrent funding to a record $4,354.7 million, up 10% on last year.

The State’s 1646 Government schools will benefit from $104 million over the next four years for specialist Information-Technology support, which will create 250 new jobs in the IT industry.

$17.2 million will be provided for this initiative in 1999-2000, $27 million in 2000-2001 and $30 million in each of the next two years.

Also, the Government’s commitment to boost science and technology studies in schools will see $14.9 million provided over the next two years.

Programs to assist students in the middle years of schooling (Years 5-9) will also be significantly boosted. Currently 12 secondary schools are involved in the Middle Years Research and Development Project. This will be expanded to include 50 secondary schools at an additional cost of $3.4 million per annum.

The middle years initiative follows on from the highly successful Early Years Literacy Program. The Early Years program now attracts $102 million a year in funding and last year included the employment of an additional 1000 effective full-time teachers to coordinate improving literacy standards in our primary schools.

Other initiatives include:

• $15.1 million over two years for the implementation of the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) 2000 review recommendations. This will underpin the Government’s push to strengthen the "Three Rs" as well as key disciplines including science and history.
• $5 million over four years for the expansion of the Victorian Youth Development Program (VYDP) so that all secondary schools have the opportunity to participate in the program.
• $2.8 million over two years for the full implementation of the Victorian Student Achievement Monitor (VSAM).
• $4.2 million over two years to further support the roll-out of VicOne: the Government’s wide area network to all schools.
• $1.9 million for the upgrade of the Board of Studies’ VCE computer based reporting system in schools.