The Catholic Education Office Sydney has welcomed some of the Federal Government’s 2012 budget measures for education, especially the $2.1b for families under the Schoolkids Bonus scheme, which replaces the current Education Tax Refund, THE CEO said in a media statement.
Under the new plan, families claiming Family Tax Benefit A will, from next year, receive a direct payment of $410 for each child in primary school and $820 for each child in high school.
Dr Mark Turkington, Acting Executive Director of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney, welcomed this announcement. “This is good news for parents. It will assist families who struggle to meet the costs of educating their children.”
Dr Turkington also supported the additional funds for initiatives to recruit more Science and Maths teachers. “This is a modest start, but a welcomed one. Clearly much more investment is needed to alleviate the chronic shortage of teachers in these two key subject areas.”
He also expressed his disappointment with the budget announcement that the 5th round of funding for the building of trade training centres in schools has been postponed. “Some of our students need expanded vocational education opportunities,” he said.
“We were hoping to have approval to build a new trade training centre as part of the 5th round allocations. This much-needed facility would support students throughout Sydney’s south west. The postponement is regrettable.”
MEDIA RELEASE
CEO boss welcomes education payments