XN000022-1992-06-18 — Page 5

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1992

HAVE

"THE ESTIMATE OF $565 MILLION IS BASED ON WHAT IT WOULD COST TO OPERATE WHOLE-DAY PRIMARY SCHOOLS TERRITORY-WIDE AND NOT JUST IN THE 66 NEW SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO BE BUILT," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"THE ADDITIONAL COSTS COVER THE PROVISION OF FIVE MORE TEACHERS PER SCHOOL, A HIGHER PROPORTION OF SENIOR TEACHERS, MORE SUPPORTING STAFF AND AN ENHANCEMENT GRANT OF $950 PER CLASS."

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO CLARIFIED THAT WHILE IT HAD BEEN POLICY SINCE 1981 TO ENCOURAGE WHOLE-DAY OPERATION WHENEVER POSSIBLE, THE GOVERNMENT NEVER UNDERTOOK TO CONVERT ALL HALF-DAY CLASSES TO WHOLE-

DAY OPERATION.

IN ITS FOURTH REPORT PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER 1990, THE EDUCATION COMMISSION PROPOSED A PLAN TO INTRODUCE MIXED-MODE SCHOOLING A3 AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION WITHIN SCHOOLS.

"TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PUBLIC VIEWS EXPRESSED IN A WIDE RANGING CONSULTATION EXERCISE, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOW DECIDED THAT MIXED-MODE SCHOOLING SHOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"IN REACHING THIS DECISION, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO CONFIRMED, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, THAT NO SPECIFIC TIME FRAME SHOULD BE SET FOR ACHIEVING WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLING.

+

MORE.

"THE RECENT GOVERNMENT DECISION TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY RESOURCES TO CURRENT WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLS AND THOSE WHICH MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES TO CONVERT TO WHOLE-DAY OPERATION IMPROVES ON AN EXISTING POLICY.

IT WOULD BE WRONG TO DESCRIBE SUCH IMPROVEMENTS AS THE GOVERNMENT RENEGING ON EARLIER UNDERTAKINGS ON WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLING," HE ADDED.

THE METHODOLOGY USED IN CALCULATING THE ANNUAL RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ON FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLING IS AS FOLLOWS:

TEACHING STAFF:

PRESENT NUMBER OF OPERATING CLASSES: LESS 14% POPULATION DECLINE OVER

NEXT 10 YEARS:

EQUIVALENT TO 477.4 24-CLASS SCHOOLS:

10% GOVERNMENT = 90% AIDED

48 SCHOOLS

430 SCHOOLS

13,323

11,458

ADDITIONAL TEACHERS REQUIRED (AT 5 TEACHERS PER

24-CLASS SCHOOLS):

GOVT: AIDED:

=

48 SCHOOLS X 5 TEACHERS

240 TEACHERS 430 SCHOOLS X 5 TEACHERS 2,150 TEACHERS

AVERAGE SALARY AT $0.28M

PER GOVT SCHOOL TEACHER PER ANNUM

= 240 X $0.28M =

$68M

/AVERAGE SALARY