The sunshine state is digging deep to get $1.9 billion worth of school building works underway, with plans to build 10 new schools and other facilities.
A statement released by premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday said the school project works would support over 4,100 jobs across the state.
“This is creating jobs to drive our economic recovery post-COVID and longer term, this is an investment in Queensland’s future workforce and leaders in our schools and early childhood centres,” Palaszczuk said.
Education minister Grace Grace said the additional new public schools, with $913.7 million allocated for construction, would be built over seven years across south-east Queensland’s growth corridors.
The new builds will include six primary schools in Ripley, Bellbird Bark, Augustine Heights, Yarrabilba, Logan Reserve and Redland Bay. Four high schools will also be built for communities in Springfield, Logan Reserve/Park Ridge, Collingwood Park/Redlands Plains and the Sunshine Coast areas.
“The budget also includes $202.9 million invested over four years and $64 million in ongoing annual funding to support the continued provision of universal access to kindergarten for Queensland children,” Grace said.
“This means funding for kindergartens for 2021–22 of $187.1 million.”
In total the state government has announced $15.3 billion for school and early childhood education in the latest budget. Some of that money will help hire 240 extra teachers, 80 teacher aids, funding to deliver professional well-being support to every Queensland state school student, and money for a pilot that will place GPs in 20 state high schools.
“The 2021-22 education budget is a down payment on Queensland’s future,” Palaszczuk said.
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