Gillard hit with tough questions
SCHOOL funding reform led the community cabinet meeting at Redbank Plains Sate High School last week, with controversial issues such as the impact of carbon tax barely getting a mention.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard brought the audiences' attention to Glenala State High School's success under the Smarter Schools National Partnerships program where funding had returned significant outcomes.
Principal Corrine McMillan told the cabinet meeting how an extra $800 per student per year had increased the school's attendance by 12% in less than a year.
"We've seen 71% of our students receive an OP of one to 15," Ms McMillan said
"We've also seen 84% of students graduate with a Queensland Certificate of Education, which is more than a 15% increase for our students."
Ms Gillard was asked twice about the delivery and handling of the Gonski Review by spokeswomen from the Kruger Primary School and Blair State School communities, but said the Federal Government was yet to formally respond to the report.
"David Gonski gave us a report that recommends a new school funding system," Ms Gillard said.
"It's a very big change from what we have now with very big financial consequences not only for the Federal Government, but also for the state governments."
When Nikki Parker of Ipswich questioned the Government's timeframe for delivering urgent funds to local schools in the light of "spin", Ms Gillard quickly responded with: "I think you can judge us by our record to date, we've basically doubled the amount of funding going into to school education".
Local community activist Jim Dodrill raised concerns about the Transpacific Waste Management's toxic waste dump bordering Riverview and Collingwood Park, which he said was one of the largest in the country.
But Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Tony Bourke said the issue was for the state government.
The Prime Minister also promised a sand bagging machine to the Ipswich SES after they filled 11,000 sandbags by hand during the floods.
