Senator PATTERSON (5:06 PM) —I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard .

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

The bill amends the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 1996 to give effect to initiatives announced in the 1999-2000 Budget. These initiatives will provide:

. $36.3 million in 2000 to increase funding under the Literacy and Numeracy Program to help schools measurably improve the literacy and numeracy skills of students in the early and middle years of schooling. This funding will support two initiatives:

. Support for the National Literacy and Numeracy Plan, and

. Strategies to improve literacy and numeracy in the middle years of schooling; and

. $26.4 million to extend funding for the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy in 2000.

The bill also contains provisions which:

. provide an additional $10.1 million for each of the program years 2000 up to, and including, 2003 for the non-government component of the Capital Grants Program to maintain funding at the same real level as for the period 1997 to 1999;

. provide an additional $1.9 million for Short Term Emergency Assistance (STEA) in 2000 to allow schools experiencing severe financial hardship or facing problems of viability to apply for STEA during the transitional period to the new SES funding model for non-government schools; and

. make a minor technical amendment to the headings in the act to change the name of the Literacy Program to the Literacy and Numeracy Program.

The government's continuing support for improvements in school students' literacy and numeracy skills is a key aspect of the government's overall strategy to improve literacy and numeracy skills of young Australians.

The Commonwealth makes a very significant financial contribution to support the work of schools and teachers in improving the literacy and numeracy skills of young Australians. The 1999-2000 Budget provides an additional $131 million under the Literacy and Numeracy Program for disadvantaged school students, making a total of almost $869 million for literacy and numeracy in the next four years to 2002-03.

Research has shown that, for young Australians, the consequences of poor literacy and numeracy achievement at school include an increased likelihood of leaving school early, poor access to further education and training and a much higher risk of unemployment. If students receive support in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills at school, it will reduce their risk of unemployment by increasing their ability to participate in education and improving their ability to successfully participate in the workforce.

The Commonwealth is working with States and Territories to ensure that all children achieve an acceptable standard of literacy and numeracy skills.

The additional funding will help schools measurably improve the literacy and numeracy skills of students in the early and middle years of schooling. Funding will be provided under the Literacy and Numeracy Program and will commence on 1 January 2000.

The National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy is a cooperative initiative between Commonwealth, State and Territory governments.

The Strategy assists government and non-government schools to improve participation and proficiency levels in language learning in four targeted Asian languages—Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian and Korean—and to introduce or increase Asian studies content across the curriculum.

The Commonwealth initially agreed to fund the program for four years, with further funding subject to an evaluation of the program. The evaluation informed the discussions which resulted in the continuation of the Taskforce established by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) to monitor the implementation of the NALSAS Strategy.

This bill provides $26.4 million to continue funding for the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy in 2000 to support enhanced and expanded Asian languages and Asian studies provision through all school systems in order to improve Australia's capacity and preparedness to interact internationally, particularly with key Asian economies.

This extra funding for the NALSAS strategy will be used to provide continued support to teachers and students.

The government's funding policies for schools will assist in ensuring quality educational outcomes for students in government and non-government schools. Total direct Commonwealth schools funding will amount to more than $17 billion over the period 1997 to 2000.

This funding affirms the Commonwealth's commitment to schooling in Australia.

I commend the bill to the Senate.

Debate (on motion by Senator O'Brien) adjourned.