Media Release - Labor cuts risk school survival - Tuesday 9 November 2010

As the State Labor Government continues to defend spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on an Italian festival in Puglia, a multi-campus school in the Fleurieu is having previously guaranteed funding slashed from its budget.

The Eastern Fleurieu School has been told that $230,000 allocated to support the multi campus model will be cut at the beginning of next year.

The school had expected the funding to run until at least the end of 2011, as this is what was promised by the Government when the model was originally designed in consultation with the Department of Education and Child Services.

This comes some months after the school faced one of the worst examples of the mismanagement of the Julia Gillard school hall debacle.

This is just another example of a Labor Government with its priorities around the wrong way.

I have written to the Minister for Education urging him to honour his original funding commitment and reinstate the funding.

My concerns are particularly for the students of the lower lakes communities whom have directly experienced the plight of the recent drought and tough economic times.

The Eastern Fleurieu School has had many challenges over the past few years and this Labor cut will put in jeopardy the great work of the school community.

Labor should stop treating the Adelaide Hills and the Fleurieu with contempt and reverse this disgraceful decision.