COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt. Hon. SIR ROBERT MENZIES,
M. P.,
ON THE
SECOND READING
OF THE
STATES GRANTS ( SCIENCE LABORATORIES)
BILL 16
[ From the " Parliamentary Debates," 18th May 19651
kSir ROBERT MENZIES ( Kooyongrime
Minister) move-
That the BUi be now read a second time.
This Bill seeks authority for the Government
to continue, during each of the next three
financial years, grants to secondary schools
for the construction and equipment of
science laboratories. Such grants were first
made in the present financial year by authority
of the States Grants ( Science L-aboratories
' and Technical Training) Act 1964.
Operations in this year have demonstrated
~ the value of this form of aid and have re-
WSulted in assistance in varying amounts being
given to an impressive number of secondary
schools. State Governments have been paid
18,900 for provision of laboratories in
~ State schools and this grant, since it was
* ma de on condition that State Governments
did not reduce their own contributions, has
resulted in the States being able to under-
583 1/ 65 take programmes to provide science laboratories
and equipment in 293 more secondary
schools than would otherwise have been
possible. New South Wales intends to provide
facilities in 80 schools, Victoria in 167,
Queensland in 11, South Australia in 18,
Western Australia in 7 and Tasmania in
The States ' have not, for their own good
internal reasons, been able to spend in this
year, all the money made available to them.
However, they have committed it and the
-assurance of a three year programme which
the Bill will give, will enable them to plan
for accelerated spending in the knowledge
that they are assured of the necessary
finance. In the case of indcpendent schools,
œ 1,334,000 was provided this year for
independent schools in the States and
œ E47,000 for independent schools in the
Australian Capital Territory and the
Northern Territory. Of this total sum,
œ 1,200,000 has already been paid to independent
schools and by the end of June
virtually all the funds provided will be
in the hands of the schools and be represented
by laboratories which have been
finished, laboratories which are under construction,
or by modern equipment. In all,
189 independent schools will have been
assisted, 120 by way of grants for laboratories
and equipment and the remainder
by grants for equipment only. At present
708 independent schools are registered with
the Department as being interested in receiving
assistance.
Here again the provision of a three year
programme will enable independent schools
to plan their building programmes ahead in
the knowledge of the amount of assistance
they will receive and the year in which they
will receive it. The scheme has been greatly
assisted by the co-operation of State Governments
most of which have, amongst other
helpful actions, agreed to provide equipment
to independent schools through the same
channels as those through which they provide
equipment to Government schools.
thus ensuring equipment being purchased
at the lowest possible cost.
New South Wales
Victoria Queensland South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania All States
Australian Capital Territory and Northern
Territory Government Schools The Government has been greatly
helped, too, by the advisory committees in
the States which have recommended
priorities among the many independent
schools which have sought assistance under
the scheme. The Advisory Committee on
Standards has made a most significant contribution
to the success of -the programme
in independent schools. This Committee
has developed a series of laboratory plans
and its members, who all have much experience
in science teaching, visit applicant
schools and give advice on the most suitable
laboratories to meet their individual
needs. Broad proposals for the next three
years have been submitted to the Commonwealth
but have not yet been agreed in
detail. The programme will provide
million for science laboratories and equipment
over each of the next three financial
years. With the permission of the House I
would like to * have incorporated in
" Hansard a table showing the distribution
of the proposed grants among government
and independent schools for each o
the next three financial years.
Roman
CatholicOtherTotal Total
1 1 1 1 i
f
1,355,000 1,022,600 524,200 337,700 258,500 I120,900
3,618,900 377,700 237,900 109,900 60,300 58,400 25,100
869,300 f
121,700 139.100 83,. 300
64,200 36,900 19,500 L
499,400 377,000 193,200 I124,500 95,300 44,600
464,700 1,334,000 47,100 E
1,854,400 1,399,600 717,400
462,200 353,800 165,500
4,952,900 5,000,0000
I commend the Bill to the House.
BY AUTHIORITY: A. J. ARTHUR, COMMONWEALTHI GOVLRNILNFr IRINI'Lli, CANBERRA.
STATE GRANTS ( SCIENCE LABORATORIES) BILL 1965
SCIENCE BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS-ANNUAL DIVISION BETWEEN STA-rES AND
TERRITORIES IIndependent