Kindergartens
Thursday, 19 August 2010 10:44
18 Aug 2010
Private Members’ Statements
Kindergartens
Dr FLEGG (Moggill—LNP) (11.41 am): The shambles of kindergarten funding in Queensland is now looking more and more like ceiling insulation. The minister announced a new funding scheme, where we would be given vouchers for $1,200 dollars for children attending kindergartens. On 30 June, he started to back away from that and said that he
would guarantee the present DECKAS funding level for all services in 2011. Yesterday, he repeated that claim and under his letterhead had circulated, signed off by the office of early childhood, a letter to parents saying that the kindergarten services will have DECKAS level funding guaranteed until 2014 and that it would be indexed. In other words, he has completely backed away from the new system and gone back to DECKAS.
But imagine the horror of finding that this minister’s commitment to this parliament and these kindies was a pack of dishonest deception. When the kindy at Condy Park on the Fraser Coast contacted the office of early childhood, despite receiving that letter, they said, ‘No, no, no, the funding cut is still in place’—over $90,000 a year. When the Campus Kindy at the University of Queensland contacted C&K, they were told, ‘No, no, no, the funding cut stands’ and for that particular kindy, it is $60,000 to $90,000 a year.
We cannot believe a word this education minister says. He has given ironclad commitments that this funding will not be cut, yet kindergartens across Queensland are getting slaughtered. And who is going to pay? The parents are going to pay when the fees get put up, or when their local kindergarten closes down. This minister needs to get off his backside and explain why he misled this parliament.