Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates Written questions on notice provided by the Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP 1. School Asbestos Removal (BP4 PG 33) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: How many schools have been classified as having A3 level asbestos? a) How many schools have had A3 level asbestos removed so far? b) How many schools will have A3 level asbestos removed during 2019/20? c) How many schools will not have A3 level asbestos removed this year? d) Can you please provide list of all schools and their asbestos classification be provided to the committee? Answer: 1,296 schools were identified to have A3 asbestos: a) 342. b) There will be 702 schools that have A3 asbestos removed between now and June 2020. c) The remaining 252 schools are scheduled to have A3 asbestos removed prior to the end of 2020. d) The list is attached, with information current as of 1 May 2019. 1 Received 25 July 2019 1 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 2. School Asbestos Removal (BP4 PG 33) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Does the School Asbestos Removal Program also cover removal of asbestos found in kindergartens, including if those kindergartens are co-located with schools? Answer: Funding for the Asbestos Safety Program is for the removal of asbestos from schools. Where an approved provider leases or seeks approval for a premises located on a government school site, the Department conducts an asbestos audit to identify if asbestos is present. The department works with the approved provider on how to best manage any asbestos. 2 Received 25 July 2019 2 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 3. School Asbestos Removal (BP4 PG 33) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Has the budget set aside funding for testing and removing asbestos from school grounds such as ovals and playgrounds? Answer: School grounds (which include ovals and playgrounds) are managed through the asbestos management framework for which an additional $4 million was provided in the 2019-20 State Budget for initiatives such as soil remediation due to asbestos contamination. 3 Received 25 July 2019 3 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 4. School Asbestos Removal (BP4 PG 33) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Does the Department have established protocols ensuring land acquired for new schools is tested and free from asbestos? Answer: All land purchases managed by the Department must be carried out in accordance with the Victorian Government Land Transactions Policy and Guidelines. Prior to the purchase of land, the site is assessed for contaminants, including asbestos. If asbestos is found, then remediation of the site is undertaken and asbestos clearance report/s provided by an independent occupational hygienist prior to conducting any construction on the site. 4 Received 25 July 2019 4 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 5. School Asbestos Removal (BP4 PG 33) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Last year works at Sunshine College were ground to a halt because of an estimated $5.5 million worth of asbestos removal. The government refused to provide additional funds until it made a commitment at the election. Does this budget ensure that where project costs are blown out by asbestos removal – schools will still receive the facilities that the government has promised them? Answer: The 2019-20 Budget allocated $12.75 million to Sunshine College for the next stage of its major upgrade which includes previously deferred works due to the significant amount of asbestos found during demolition. This stage will include the Performing Arts Centre, Gymnasium, Year 7-8 Learning Building, carparks and other upgrades. This builds on the $21.7 million already provided by the Government to the school. 5 Received 25 July 2019 5 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 6. Three Year Old Kinder - Infrastructure (BP4 P25) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Where asbestos is located as part of works funded under this program, who is responsible for its removal and all costs associated? The Department, Local Government or the kindergarten? Answer: For capital works projects initiated and delivered by the Department of Education and Training, all asbestos identified within a capital works construction zone must be removed and the cost is to be funded from within the project budget. Eligible applicants under the Children’s Facilities Capital Program will continue to be responsible for the removal of contaminates, including asbestos, on project sites, and all costs associated. 6 Received 25 July 2019 6 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 7. Three Year Old Kinder - Delivery (BP3 PG 21) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Are there enough teachers to deliver these programs? What is the plan for recruitment and is that different for rural and regional areas? Answer: We estimate that more than 4,000 additional kindergarten teachers and more than 2,000 additional early childhood educators will be needed as the program expands state-wide. The $92.4 million package of workforce initiatives in the Budget represents the first stage of investing in attracting, retaining and providing better professional support to kindergarten teachers and educators. It includes investment in additional scholarships and incentives to support more people to pursue careers in early childhood teaching, and encourage existing educators to upskill. To recognise the additional challenge of recruitment in regional and rural areas, incentive payments of up to $9,000 will be available for early childhood teachers choosing to teach in the 2020 and 2021 roll-out areas. Early childhood teaching scholarship students will also be eligible to receive additional financial incentives to work in rural and regional areas upon graduating. 7 Received 25 July 2019 7 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 8. Three Year Old Kinder - Delivery (BP3 PG 21) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: What retraining requirements will be expected of current early childhood teachers to provide three year old kindergarten? Answer: The qualifications required to deliver kindergarten programs to three-year-olds are the same that currently exist for four-year-old kindergarten programs. 8 Received 25 July 2019 8 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 9. Three Year Old Kinder - Delivery (BP3 PG 21) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: How will kindergartens be compensated for covering all costs associated with retraining staff, including hire of replacement staff? Answer: Staff will not require retraining as the qualifications required to deliver kindergarten programs to three-year-olds will be the same that currently exists for four-year-old kindergarten programs. 9 Received 25 July 2019 9 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 10. Support for Students with Disabilities (BP3 PG 21) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Under Commonwealth Government’s schools funding model, how much money is Victoria entitled to from the loading for students with a disability? Answer: Commonwealth funding for Victorian Government schools, determined using the Schooling Resource Standard in the Australian Education Act 2013, is appropriated through the State budget annually and consolidated with State funding for government schools. There is no separation of the various funding elements provided by either the Commonwealth or the State through the annual appropriation. 10 Received 25 July 2019 10 of 52 Education Public Accounts and Estimates Committee | Inquiry into the 2019-20 Budget Estimates 11. Support for Students with Disabilities (BP3 PG 21) Portfolio: Education Witness: N/A Committee member: The Hon. Mr. Richard Riordan MP Page of transcript: N/A Written question: Is this funding from the loading for students with disability directly passed onto schools? a) If not, why are state schools unable to receive the full disability loading that is allocated under the Commonwealth’s School Resource Standard? Answer: Under the Australian Education Act 2013 states and territories are able to use their own funding models to allocate funding to government schools. 11 Received 25 July 2019 11 of 52 Education