Smoke and Mirrors

The state budget was released today ( There will be more thorough analysis on the impact of it on education by the AEU and others available tomorrow) with billions of dollars earmarked for infrastructure spending such as roads, rail, bridges and even schools. We have had 3 years of belt-tightening, tax hikes and massive public spending cut backs in health, emergency services, public transport and education. 

Money was announced for much needed work to be done on some of our run down schools ( especially secondary schools) Timboon P-12 is riddled with asbestos and lead which the government has ignored for years, suddenly there is money for a new school ( no money budgeted for demolishing the old building or money for a new admin block) 

Ballarat High School had a visit from the Minister yesterday who promised $7.8 million for the school plus another ten million to come ( if they are re-elected) This got everyone excited until the budget was released today and they discovered that they get only $1 million this coming financial year ( even though the minister said 'all the money would be transferred into their bank this year'!)

No special money I could see for rural education in spite of the auditor generals report on the gap between rural and metropolitan schools.

Smoke and mirrors.

Grade 6 students today wrote a diary entry as if they were First Mate Starbuck on the Pequod writing their last letter to his loved ones. They did a very good job of them. 

we also finished our 'leaping orca' paintings.

I was to attend a meeting at Ballarat High this afternoon but as I was crossing the road to attend the meeting a runaway car drove down the footpath and smashed into the fence just metres away from a major gas main.

 The driver wasn't hurt ( the miracle of airbags) but I was glad I had to wait on the median strip for traffic to pass and wasn't across the road when he hit. It is also a good thing it happened at five o'clock and not four o'clock otherwise there would have been children standing there. Need less to say the meeting was cancelled.

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