18 March 2002

Commonwealth grants $250 000 for new classrooms at St George Christian School

Students and Staff at St George Christian School will benefit from a Commonwealth Government grant of $250 000 for a new building project, Senator for New South Wales, Helen Coonan announced today.

Senator Coonan said that the grant would be used for the construction of new classrooms including a science room, preparation room, drama room and music area.

The project will involve the construction of a two-storey science room and the removal of existing demountables.

"The new facilities will help the school to provide the best possible learning environment for students in the area," Senator Coonan said.

The $250,000 Commonwealth grant will help meet the estimated project cost of $790,000, the majority of which is being funded by St George Christian School and the efforts of local teachers and parents.

"Good facilities and classrooms are important building blocks in our children's education and the Government is committed to assisting schools to improve their facilities."

"In 2002 the Commonwealth Government will spend more than $6 billion on funding for government and non government schools."

In 2002 around $89.3 million will be allocated to capital projects in non-government schools.

"This project involve a significant amount of funding - an indication of the importance the Government places on developing and maintaining school infrastructure."

Over the period 2001-2004 the Commonwealth Government will provide around $25.2 billion in direct funding to schools, demonstrating the Government's commitment to a strong and effective school system.