House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Education Funding EDUCATION FUNDING Mr PENGILLY House of Assembly Finniss EDUCATION FUNDING Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:16): My question is also to the Minister for Education—a popular fellow in some quarters. Can the minister please advise the house if funding guaranteed for schools given by the former chief executive officer of the Department of Education and Children's Services, Mr Chris Robinson, will be assured following Mr Robinson's dismissal? The governing council of Kangaroo Island Community Education has been informed by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of DECS, Mr Gino DeGennaro, that the three-year funding arrangement concluding on 30 June 2013 will not be guaranteed, despite a formal letter from the former CEO guaranteeing the funding. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Minister for Education Minister for Early Childhood Development EDUCATION FUNDING The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (15:17): I do not have any particular detail about that. I am not aware of the particular detail of that arrangement. In a general sense, I would say that, arrangements that have been entered into should be honoured, but obviously I need to consider precisely what it is that was agreed to and what the circumstances are of any changed arrangements. The departure— Mr Pengilly interjecting: The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I do not know the specific answer to the question. I am trying to help you as much as I can by making some general points. In a general sense, the departure of a chief executive should not disturb arrangements that are entered into by the agency. The agency has an existence that continues beyond the tenure of any one chief executive, just as it would in the case of a commitment entered into by a minister or the government. That is the general point. Whether or not the commitment was in the precise terms that you suggest is something we would have to look at carefully. I will bring back an answer to the house.