MORE teachers, rehab for problem students and parent input into school discipline are among the measures in the Liberal National Party's education policy.
Rehabilitation centres will be built across Queensland for problem students under a Liberal National Party state government after the party today announced its $260 million education plan.
LNP leader Lawrence Springborg said $18 million would be spent on the detention schools to ensure students suspended or expelled went into a rehabilitative environment rather than out into the community with the same problems.
"We want to make sure that suspension is not just a quasi-holiday," Mr Springborg told delegates at the LNP first state council meeting in Townsville.
"It's about making sure you've got obligations to fix that behaviour."
LNP leader Lawrence Springborg unveiled the plan today at the party's first state council meeting in Townsville, in northern Queensland.
In front of more than 150 delegates, Mr Springborg said the LNP would focus on achieving smaller classes, better academic results and greater parental involvement if it wins government at the next election.
The policy comes after a national report card showed Queensland schools have the worst literacy and numeracy rates of all state schools in Australia.
"Education is the best long-term economic policy," Mr Springborg said.
"The LNP believes real education outcomes for our children are more important than politically driven targets and Smart State slogans for government advertising."
Key components of the LNP education policy include:
* Providing an extra 150 teachers in years one to three at a cost of $48 million over four years to help reduce class sizes * The progressive introduction of full-time teacher aides into prep classes at a cost of $45 million over four years * An extra 105 teachers for special needs students at a cost of $33.6 million over four years * Giving parents a say in school behaviour codes * $100 million over four years to address the school maintenance backlog, over and above already budgeted programs.
The plan also aims to boost air conditioning in schools, support counsellors and computer services.
"This strategy is central to our plan to attack the decline in literacy and numeracy," Mr Springborg said.
"This, coupled with our plan to implement a joint interstate curriculum will boost learning and put Queensland youngsters back at the top of the class in Australian education." . . At last a sensible Education plan for Queensland Education. . . .
