Building the Education Revolution (BER) Update

Two hundred and eight Catholic schools have now been approved for Rounds 1 and 2 of the BER Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) program with $182.4million approved in BER funding. All P21 Nominations for Round Three of the P21 program closed on 1 July and were submitted to DEEWR on 10 July 2009.

All National Schools Pride (NSP) projects (288 schools) are in the process of being tendered or gaining quotations, with 55 projects at the contract stage.

Twenty two Catholic schools throughout the state from the 47 applications submitted have been successful in gaining Ministerial support under the federal government’s Science and Language Centre program.  The projects have a total value of $24,801,168.

The following is an extract from a recent letter written to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard from the Chair of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), Therese Temby. 

‘I am writing to express to you and the Australian Government the thanks and appreciation of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) for the more than $2.4 billion in BER grants to Australian Catholic schools, and to assure you that it is being carefully allocated and spent by schools.

The BER is delivering overdue facilities upgrades and welcome improvements to the 1700 Catholic schools in all States and Territories. NCEC would like to assure you that the BER funding allocated by the Government to Catholic schools is being well spent. Projects are proceeding according to budget and on time with maximum use of local project management and local building contractors to provide a quick and immediate economic stimulus to local communities and to improve school infrastructure.

Catholic school authorities are taking care to avoid duplication of facilities and to focus on the Government’s priority building areas (libraries, multi-purpose halls, classrooms). NCEC is confident that the Catholic school BER funding will meet the Government's objectives and that the stimulus is being gratefully received and acknowledged by Catholic school communities throughout Australia.’

[NIB Vol 28 No. 5 July 2009]