SCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL FACILITIES

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister inform the house about what the government is doing to help improve school and preschool facilities for students and staff?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:27): I thank the member for Mitchell for this really important question. Members would be well aware of the enormous investment infrastructure that we have seen occur at our school sites—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —over the last few years, and that is why I am very pleased to inform and report to the house on more than $10 million that has been provided to schools through the School Pride Asset Program. I was very pleased to sign many letters to many members of this place and many principals over the last couple of weeks advising them of investments that will be occurring at their site. The program is important because it assists very significantly in maintaining and improving our schools and preschools because they are such an important asset in the lives of our children and our community.

I am very pleased to report that, in the most recent round, the program is funding 300 projects in schools and preschools across our state, and that includes funding for things like heating and cooling to maintaining play areas for children. All the projects make our schools and preschools more comfortable, safer and offer much improved spaces for teaching and learning.

Some examples are: Banksia Park Primary School will receive $350,000 for air conditioning; Warradale Kindergarten will receive $10,000 for new toilets for children; and $230,000 will be invested for new security fencing at Willunga High School. In regional areas, Moonta Area School will receive $200,000 to replace the bitumen on the hard play areas and Renmark West Preschool will see $10,000 invested in, again, new toilets for children.

I point out that this program is taking place in the context of many millions of dollars being invested in our schools over many years. Since 2002, this government has invested around $1.6 billion in school capital works, maintenance and assets. This is in addition to the investment of new buildings and other support, including new gymnasiums, classrooms and learning areas for science, languages and trades, worth around $1 billion, as a result of our partnership with the federal government. I commend and acknowledge all these schools in our community that do a fantastic job. I am very happy to see this investment going to our schools so we can give every chance to every child in our community.