Kew electorate
Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:49): (248) My question is to the Minister for Education. Why has the minister included Andale School in Kew on the government’s school tax hit list? Andale School provides specialised primary education for children with language and learning challenges. With only 22 students, Andale is truly a unique learning environment that supports students to reach their full potential. The school relies on parent-organised fundraising to help provide the diverse range of educational programs that students need. I have had the great pleasure of working closely with the Andale community. I have never seen a more committed group of parents, teachers and staff, who so wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to ensuring Andale students have the best possible education. It defies belief that Andale School has been hit hard by Labor’s school tax, which will cost Andale around $12,000 next year. While this may be a modest amount for the government and will have no impact on the state’s budget, it will have an impact on Andale’s budget. Andale’s inclusion in the school tax hit list has come as a shock to the school and the Kew community. It is simply shameful that the government has targeted Andale School with this regressive tax on education.