Music Centre and Early Years Classrooms Opened at Antonio Catholic School

Senator David Fawcett today officially opened the new classroom block and music centre at Antonio Catholic School in Adelaide.

Students and staff at Antonio Catholic School now have full use of the new building including four general learning areas, breakout spaces, a music centre, new decks and a covered outdoor learning area. The Turnbull Government provided $948,273 in funding from the Capital Grants Program.

Senator Fawcett attended the opening of the new learning areas on behalf of Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training.

“It was great to visit Antonio Catholic School and see the new facilities firsthand and the impact they will have,” Senator Fawcett said.

“Students, staff and the whole school community will benefit from using the new classrooms and music centre”.

“These new learning spaces take into account the latest in education research and will see students learn more effectively”.

The Turnbull Government’s recently announced Quality Schools reform package will see higher national levels of school funding than ever before – a record $242.3 billion in total schools recurrent funding from 2018 to 2027, including $81.1 billion over 2018 to 2021. The new arrangements will make Commonwealth schools funding fair, transparent, equitable and needs-based.

The Quality Schools reform package also includes improved capital grants arrangements for non-government schools, with an estimated additional $300 million over the next 10 years for the Capital Grants Program. From 2018, funding will now also take account of enrolment growth, which is consistent with arrangements for government schools.

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the Coalition’s recurrent funding growth will be tied to a range of evidence-based initiatives to support students by focussing on outcomes in literacy, numeracy and STEM subjects, helping lift teacher quality and better preparing our children for life after school.

“While buildings alone do not make a great school, I hope students and staff will enjoy learning and be inspired by these new facilities,” Minister Birmingham said.

“The Turnbull Government is committed to improving the quality of our schools and equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive world”.

Minister Birmingham is responsible for the Capital Grants Program, which provides funding for non-government schools to improve capital infrastructure where they otherwise may not have access to sufficient capital resources.

More information on the Quality Schools reform package can be found at www.education.gov.au/qualityschools

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