Schools, Materials and Services Charge

Ms COOK (Fisher) (14:43): My question is also for the Minister for Education and Child Development. What is the state government doing to support families with students in public schools across South Australia?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (14:43): I won't traverse too much information that is already in the public domain, but members will be aware that there was a recent announcement to lift the level of the household income before parents are required to contribute to the funding of their school through the materials and services charges. For a long time that has been about $37,000. We are in a position now to lift that to $57,800 for one child, with an additional, roughly, $1,000 for each additional child in the family.

What this means is that another 29,000 students across our public sector system will be the beneficiaries when their parents will not have to pay that fee. The impact of that will be, of course, variable in different areas, so I think it might be of use to members of parliament to hear the impact across some of the electorates. For Hurtle Vale, for example, as the member has asked me, there will be an extra—

An honourable member: Fisher.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —Fisher, soon to be Hurtle Vale—690 families, who send their children to public schools, who will benefit from the start of next year through those reforms. In the electorate of Reynell, it will be an extra 420 families. In the electorate of Kaurna, it will be an extra 390 families. In Mawson, 440 extra families will benefit. The savings for these families will be large and significant.

What is important is that we are saying to these families, 'Concentrate on your children. Send your kids to a public school. We recognise that at $57,000 and upwards, depending on the number of children, life can be hard and we will make sure that we will look after you. Send your kids to our schools and they will have a fantastic education.' I thank the member for the question.