Bills Digest No. 26 2002-03
States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education
Assistance)
Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2002
WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
does not have any official legal status. Other sources should be
consulted to determine the subsequent official status of the
Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Endnotes
Contact Officer & Copyright Details
Passage History
States Grants (Primary and Secondary
Education Assistance) Amendment Bill (No. 2)
2002
Date Introduced:
21 August 2002
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Education, Science and
Training
Commencement:
Royal
Assent
Purpose
The purpose of
this Bill is to amend the States Grants (Primary and Secondary
Education Assistance) Act 2000 (the current Act) to make
provision for capital funding for government and non-government
schools for the years 2005 to 2007.
Capital grants assist
government and non-government school authorities with the provision
and upgrading of capital infrastructure. This infrastructure
includes land, buildings, water and electricity, equipment, library
materials and cataloguing services, furniture, and residential
accommodation for government school students.
According to the 1999
National Report on Schooling in Australia Commonwealth
capital grants for schools represent about 7 per cent of total
Commonwealth specific purpose payments for schools.(1)
The majority of capital grants is allocated to government schools.
From 1996 to 2000 capital grants totalled approximately $1.5
billion of which $1 078 782 662 was granted to
government schools and $454 117 000 to non-government schools.
(Other organisations received $3 100 194.)(2)
Schedule 5 of the current Act indicates from
2004 a reduction in non-government school capital grants from $87
401 000 to $76 940 000. This change represents a return to the base
level of capital funding for non-government schools following a
series of budget measures which have since the 1992-93 budget
provided additional funding. The current budget measure relating to
this extra provision of funds is due to expire in 2003.
The Bill amends the current Act to provide
capital funding for schools totalling $897 783 000 over
the years 2005 to 2007, of which $666 963 000 will be allocated to
government schools and $230 820 000 to non-government schools.
These amounts are subject to supplementation as a result of
movements in the Building Price Index.
This Bill is a routine procedure according to
standard program administrative arrangements whereby capital grants
are approved up to three years in advance of the current calendar
year. This is necessitated by the long-term nature of many capital
works projects.
Main
Provisions
Item 1 inserts into Column 2 of
Schedule 3 the maximum capital grant funding amount of $222 321 000
for government schools for each of the years 2005 to 2007.
Item 4 inserts into Column 2 of
Schedule 5 the maximum capital grant funding amount of $76 940 000
for non-government schools for each of the years 2005 to 2007.
-
- Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and
Youth Affairs, National Report on Schooling in Australia
1999, Curriculum Corporation for MCEETYA, p.
217.
- Australia. Department of Education, Science and Training,
States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act
1996: Report on Financial Assistance Granted to each State in
Respect of (various years), DEST, Canberra, 1992 2002. (Title
varies.)
Marilyn Harrington
27 August 2002
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 2002
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