Member for Burnett, Stephen Bennett today announced that all Queensland state primary schools were set to benefit from a major funding boost for literacy and numeracy programs.
Mr Bennett said the $26 million ‘Getting the Basics Right – Literacy and Numeracy’ grants would be spread over the next four years and delivered on one of the Newman Government’s key election commitments.
He said the grants would be directed to students in the early years of schooling and would be distributed based on need rather than enrolment figures.
“The earlier we get involved in kids’ literacy and numeracy learning the more successful they will be, which is why we are targeting students in Prep to Year 2,” Mr Bennett said.
“These grants will enable our state schools to tailor literacy and numeracy programs to the specific needs of their students and school communities.
“The Newman Government is committed to making Queensland one of Australia’s leading states in literacy and numeracy achievement.”
Mr Bennett said that individual schools would be given the flexibility to decide how to invest the grants money to best meet the needs of their students.
“The Newman Government believes that principals, teachers and parents are best placed to choose literacy and numeracy programs that will suit the needs of their students and children,” he said.
“This will allow these important decisions to be made at the local level to ensure that young Queenslanders receive a quality education experience.”
Mr Bennett said the first round of the Getting the Basics Right – Literacy and Numeracy grants would be delivered to schools across Queensland before the end of the school year.
“Schools will then have time to develop literacy and numeracy programs so their Prep to Year 2 students can benefit from the start of the 2013 school year.”