EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2000 Second Reading Speech

Northern Territory Second Reading Speeches

EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2000

(This an uncorrected proof of the daily report. It is made available under the condition that it is recognised as such.)

Mr LUGG (School Education): Mr Speaker, I move that the bill now be read a second time.

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Education Act to allow the Department of Education to prepare and table its annual report to the Legislative Assembly after the conclusion of the financial year instead of at the end of the calendar year. At present under Part II section 10(1) of the Education Act, the department is required to table its annual report to the Legislative Assembly as soon as practicable after 31 December each year. This requirement was based on the fact that schools operate on a calendar year basis and not on a financial year cycle.

The proposed amendments recognise that it will be more efficient for the department to align itself with the majority of other Northern Territory government agencies and report to this house at the end of each financial year. At present the department is required to prepare two sets of financial data. One for the annual report at the end of the calendar year and one for the Auditor-General at the end of the financial year. By amending the act, the department will reduce the need to twice report on financial activity. Another reason for the change is that schools now submit school annual reports to the department. These are subject to approval by school councils at their annual general meetings which are held usually prior to 15 March in the year following the reporting period. With the department reporting to the Legislative Assembly on the financial year basis, the opportunity exists for significant achievements of schools identified in these reports to be reported in the department’s annual report.

This change will not affect the funding of schools nor will it affect the timeliness of funding the schools. The proposed amendment aims to rationalise the department’s reporting to the Legislative Assembly by providing a mechanism to permit the department to report at the same time as other government agencies and to more fully incorporate information from schools about the preceding calendar year’s activity. Further, the change will allow financial reporting to more precisely match planned outcomes identified in Budget Paper No. 2, thereby increasing accountability and improving departmental effectiveness.

I commend the bill to honourable members.

Debate adjourned.

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