Mulgrave schools to receive upgrades as part of $200 million program

Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt has welcomed funding for local schools under the latest round of State Schools of Tomorrow (SSOT) funding.

More than 1,800 classrooms in more than 200 schools will be rebuilt and refurbished under the $200 million program.

Mr Pitt said the following schools in Mulgrave would receive around $2.18 million for classroom and science laboratory upgrades:

• Major classroom upgrades will be undertaken at Hambledon State School ($387, 586) and Yarrabah State School ($1.162 million)
• The science laboratory at Babinda State School P-12 ($636,748) will be redesigned to support innovative teaching and learning.

“This is about delivering the most modern classrooms and giving Queensland the most modern facilities in our schools,” Mr Pitt said.

“I know these projects will be welcomed by our local schools.

“This investment in school infrastructure is part of the Bligh Government’s commitment to supporting and creating Queensland jobs.

“We have had to make the hard decisions to keep our building program going, to deliver modern facilities and to keep people in jobs.

“This is a program the LNP would have cut – they were prepared to divert funding from a program which is supporting our neediest schools.

“This is not just an investment in providing modern teaching and learning environments – it’s an investment in protecting Queensland jobs during tough economic times.”

Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said modernising school infrastructure was part of the Government’s plan to life standards in Queensland schools.

“We are transforming our schools with these projects because we know having twenty-first century facilities and technology will help us improve student achievement,” he said.

“We want to see Queensland students up there with the best.

“That’s why we’re focussed on giving students what they need to succeed – quality teachers, extra help when they need it and world class resources and technology.”

Mr Wilson said the first round of SSOT had already revitalised old schools sites with new and renewed classrooms and resources.

“We are spending $390 million on projects in Brisbane Bayside, Eastern Ipswich, Inala and Innisfail,” he said.

“We’ve provided a mixture of new and refurbished buildings and upgraded infrastructure to bring these schools into the twenty-first century.

“The Inala and Innisfail projects are due for completion at the end of this year, along with most of the Eastern Ipswich and Bayside renewal program.

“The Darling Point Special School, Wynnum State School and Wynnum State High School projects are due for delivery in 2010 and the Bremer State High School relocation in 2011.

“We know that investing in education is an investment in our state’s future and that’s why we’re continuing to build and rebuild Queensland schools.”