Melbourne electorate
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:40): (46) My question today is to the Minister for Education. For many students school camps are a highlight of the year. They are an opportunity to foster independence, spend time with friends and learn outside the classroom, but for some local schools in my electorate school camps are now on the chopping block. Lack of funding from the government for the new teaching enterprise bargaining agreement means that schools cannot afford the time in lieu for teachers to staff camps. At North Melbourne Primary School the whole camp program is being reconsidered and camps risk being shortened or even cancelled. Parents are being asked to volunteer their time to staff the camps, and costs for families will probably go up. The school council has made the difficult decision to put fundraised money towards the cost of camps, meaning that other important maintenance projects at this heritage school will get left behind. Minister, will this government commit the additional funding needed in this budget to ensure my local schools do not have to cancel school camps for their kids?