Nearly 50 schools willundergo $300,000 infrastructure upgrades of their choice as the Territory LaborGovernment continues to deliver a key election commitment.
The $56.4million Building Better Schools program aims to supportgenerational change and ensure all Territory children have access to qualityinfrastructure to support quality learning.
The program has also createdmore than 800 local construction jobs across the Territory in the past twoyears.
TheChief Minister and Minister for Children Michael Gunner today announced the 39government and nine non-government schools* to receive a total of $14.4 millionin funding for Round 3.
Theprogram gives schools and school councils the power to determine which minorinfrastructure upgrades they most need, while supporting local jobs.
Inthe first two rounds of the program, 81 government schools and 19non-government schools invested in a diverse array of school improvementprojects, from shade structure installations, to new playground areas, solarpanel installation, new toilet facilities and classroom upgrades.
Overthe course of its four-year term, 188 schools 152 government and 36non-government will receive the one-off funding, which is spread over fourrounds.
Quotesattributable to Chief Minister and Minister for Children, Michael Gunner:
We are delivering on our promise to give $300,000to every Territory school.
The funding not only supportsjobs but importantly, creates better learning environments for our children.
From remote communities toour cities, we are investing in quality infrastructure that will serve ourchildren for many years to come.
Investing in our schools isnot only an investment in our economy and in our people, it is an investment inour future.
Quotesfrom Minister for Education, Selena Uibo:
Children are at the heart ofall decisions made by the Territory Labor Government and we know that qualityinfrastructure is important to meet the needs of our students now and into thefuture.
These small infrastructureupgrades, determined by schools, can make a big difference to the learningenvironment.
Unlike the CLP, who showedthey did not care about our children or our schools by ripping $135 millionfrom the education budget, the Territory Labor Government will always invest ineducation, because we know it is not just the right thing to do, it is thesmart thing to do.
Quotefrom Jingili Primary School Principal, Carin Symonds:
The BBS funding has allowedus to undertake a range of projects, which not only has helped improve theinfrastructure of our school but has also assisted us in developing moresustainable practices in line with the work we do within our Kitchen Gardenprogram.
*List of schools attached
