The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 8

4 THE AGE TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 1995 MILITARY TRAINING UNDER FIRE MPs uurge defence school revamp wrap all undergraduate couraoa at the Australian Defence Force Academy. a I achooMeavert tent to ordinary unlvereruee, saving $60 million and reducing 1000 military scholarships offered to university students to undergo concurrent' ft military training. more Joint-services training to encourage better cooperation between the' forces I By KAREN MIDDLETON, defanca correspondent, Canberra The Australian Defence Force Academy was a "military nunnery" breeding officer cadets who each cost $308,000 to educate and were out of touch with the ordinary Australian community, the chairman of a parliamentary committee, Mr Roger Price, said yesterday. The committee's bipartisan report, tabled in Federal Parliament yesterday, says future generations of military officers should study at ordinary universities. Mr Price said the defence force would benefit from officers who began their training as mature adults.

The joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade presented a set of radical proposals fur overhauling officer training following a study designed to assess future generations of the defence force. The Government could save $60 million a year of the ADFA's $100 million budget if it scrapped the undergraduate program, the committee found. Students there cost too much to educate, did not do significantly better than those at other institutions and were becoming out of touch with the general community, it said. "I don't think Mr and Mrs Average would agree that spending $308,000 per graduate represents the best value for money (using) scarce defence dollars," Mr Price said. The multi-party committee recommended that the Government consider merging the RAAF College Point Cook, the RAN Staff Training College HMAS Creswell and Royal Military College Duntroon into one tri-service college.

It said the ADFA should scrap its undergraduate program and instead offer scholarships to 1000 young people each year to study at regular universities and begin military training that would lead to officer school. Under the proposals endorsed by all committee members except the WA Greens' Senator Dee Margetts the ADFA would shrink to a graduate school Incorporating the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, the Joint Services Staff College and the ADF Staff and Command College. It also recommended improved reservists' training to allow greater Integration with regular personnel. An Opposition backbencher and former admiral, Mr Bill Taylor, objected to restructuring the colleges, despite putting his name to the proposal. Mr Tay lor said the ADFA had been running for only a decade and should be allowed more time to develop.

Mr Price said he was proud of the achievements of the 300 officer cadets who graduated each year from the ADFA through the University of New South Wales, but they were not "well Future generations would not be able to meet Australia's changing defence needs adequately unless their training changed, he said. A spokesman for the Defence Minister, Senator Ray, said the Government would respond when it had considered the report and its findings. 1 v1 Picture: GERRY GALEA In Brief More children will miss kinder places, says parent group By CATHY GOWDIE, social affairs editor More Victorian children may miss out on kindergarten next year because of fee rises as the sector struggles to make up for State Government cuts, a parents' organisation has warned. Kindergarten Parents Victoria, an umbrella association for the committees of parents that run state kindergartens, said yesterday that reports from members suggested that enrolments would fall next year. "We have had some anecdotal evidence that there are fewer families enrolling for 1996," the association's executive director, Ms Carol Allen, said.

"It is too early to have figures, but we are certainly concerned that an implication of the funding cuts is a reduction in the number of children going to kindergarten." The State Government cut funding to kindergartens by $11.5 million, or about 18 per cent, at the beginning of 1994. Since then kindergarten fees have risen sharply, often more than doubling. Kindargarten Parents Victoria estimates average fees have risen from $40 in 1993 to between $100 and $120 this year. At the same time, according to KPV, enrolments have fallen from 94 per cent of four-year-olds enrolled in kindergarten in 1993 to 88 per cent this year. The Minister for Community Ser- vices, Mr John, said the 94 per cent had probably been the highest level of kindergarten enrolment among four-year-olds.

He said the fall to 88 per cent was not statistically significant in the light of a change in the birth rate four years ago, a two-month shift in the age at which children can start school and a growing preference among parents for the flexibility offered by child-care centres with kindergarten programs. Mr John stressed that the Government had not cut its funding of kindergartens since the start of 1994 and had increased it by 3 per cent at the start of this year. If children were going to leave kindergarten because of higher fees, he said, he would have expected them to leave last year. However, parents' committees argue that they have not yet fully absorbed the impact of the cuts that took effect at the start of 1994. Mrs Kay Cafarella is the parents' committee member in charge of enrolments and fees at the Aspendale North Kindergarten.

She said yesterday the kindergarten's committee had done everything it could to keep fees down, but had still had to raise them from $35 a term before the cuts to $90 in 1994, $105 this year and $110 next year. She estimated that the kindergarten needed an extra $5000 a year to keep going. This year the committee's hopes are pinned on the kindergarten's open day next Sunday, where there will be a craft market and auction of items such as a Test cricket ball signed by Shane Warne and compact discs signed by the Minogue sisters. Mrs Cafarella said Aspendale North had not yet had to throw any child out because his or her fees had gone unpaid, although it had looked at taking on a family who couldn't afford the fees at another kindergarten. A non-taxing time: broadcaster Peter Couchman says yesterdays heated debate on ABC Radio with the Premier, Mr Kennett, was 'par for the Greens call for: Libs' policy The Australian Conservation Foundation yesterday warned the" coalition that it could not expect; support from green groups in the election if it refused to outline its' policy on export woodchipping arid logging of old-growth forests.

The Opposition environment spokesman, Senator Kemp, said the coalition had endorsed the -Government's national forest policy statement, which balanced environmental values and the interests of the timber industry. He said the coalition would release details of its environment policy In the lead-up to the election. FYR0M diplomatic links; Australia has established official diplomatic links with the Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the acting Foreign Minister, Senator McMullan, saidZ last night. The move follows an interim accord between Greece and FYROM, whose citizens in Australia, referred to as Slav Macedonians, have been at loggerheads since its northern neighbor declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. l' Waldon to co-anchor news The veteran newsreader Mai Waldon will join Marie-Louise Thiele at the helm of Network Ten's evening news.

His appointment follows last week's departure of the former news director and newsreader, David Johnston, who will join Channel 7-to read the news with Jennifer Keyta Jail over burglary A 25-year-old man who arranged for his grandmother to be burgled was sentenced yesterday with two co; offenders to three-and-a-half years' jail on charges of burglary and recklessly causing injury. Judge Hanlon in the County Court ordered that they serve a minimum of twa years before being eligible for parJe. The court was told that Frank' Totivan, formerly of Anthony Street, Dandenong North, instigated burglary in August last year and arranged for Matthew Lee Dale, 2J, and Helmut Staudacher, 33, to carry it out. Age peace awards mention TlieAge and 77k Sunday Age received, special citations in the United -Nations media peace awards in Melbourne last night. The AFL also received a special encouragement-award for its efforts to eliminate racism.

Age journalists Bill Birnbaufcr and Tim Pegler received a citation for their 15-part series on "KoorieV Lives: Victoria's True which looked beyond misguided racial stereotypes. The section waS won by a Four Comers special by reporter and presenter Liz Jackson. Vie Sunday Ages Deborah Stone received a citation for "The-Newest a feature about Going hammer and tongs over tacks GETTING DOWN TO TIN TACKS COUCHMAN: It was an incredibly stupid thing. It's not the first time GP protest clampdown it a happened. It happened at every cycling event.

KENNETT: It does not happen at every cycling event. Don't try to protect your own stupidity. KENNETT: Now Peter, the people who have been pulling down the fences at great cost to the public have been charged under the criminal act and there have been no further pulling down of the fences because those people now realise that they have been charged with a criminal offence. COUCHMAN: Let's get rid of charges in court. For you to be saying mm ft people are guilty or a criminal act KENNETT: I'm merely saying COUCHMAN: Before they have even gone before a court.

With due respect I think it's the greatest presumption of the law that I've ever heard. KENNETT: You get on your high horse. You have no credibility on this issue. You have no credibility. I mean I come down here every fortnight as much for the entertainment factor as everything else.

By NICOLE BRADY, state polltlcyeporter Broadcaster Peter Couchman said yesterday mornlngto stoush on the airwaves between himself and the Premier, Jeff Kennett, was par for the course in Victoria these days. The two have hotly, and frequently, debated the merits of the Formula One Grand Prix to be raced around Albert Park in March, since Mr Kennett began fortnightly talkback spots on the 3LO program early this year. The tacks that spoiled a cycling event around the lake on Sunday, and Mr Kennettfe subsequent accusation that the Save Albert Park protest group was to blame, only fanned the flame. According to the Premier, Mr Couchmanfe ability to discuss the issue was compromised when he was reportedly arrested for trespassing at the Albert Park site in November. Mr Couchman said he was never charged in relation to the incident He said yesterday that once he was appointed to host the morning show, he resigned from the Save Albert Park group and had not associated with it.

On radio yesterday, after Mr Couchman queried whether Mr Kennett had been correct to describe the sabotage as "life- were no closer to charging anyone in relation to the matter. "We couldn't rule out, or rule in, anybody," a spokesman said. The general manager of Bicycle Victoria, Mr Harry Barber, said it was unfortunate but common for bicycle events to be sabotaged through the use of metal tacks. He said tacks were placed on the road during the Around the Bay event two weeks ago. "There is no doubt these things happen, and have happened, and it's unfortunate," Mr Barber said.

The Opposition Leader, Mr Brumby, denounced the sabotage and said he was appalled by Mr Ken-nett's claim that the ALP had been involved. Mr Brumby said lawyers were looking at the comments to determine whether legal action could be taken. But he said that unless Mr Kennett "put up or shut up" and named those he claimed were responsible the party was restricted in the action it could take. mm 1 1 he was told he was being 'absolutely naive. And the response to Mr Couchman claim that tacks had been strewn in the paths of cyclists competing In other events? "It does not happen at every cycling event Don't try and protect your own stupidity," Mr Kennett said.

"You have no credibility on this issue. I come down here every fortnight as much for the entertainment factor as anything else You're a throwback to the '70s." Mr Couchman said later that he admired Mr Kennett for his willingness to participate In talkback radio segments. "He never runs away from talk-back callers, whereas (the Prime Minister) Keating Just won't go near it "Keating runs a mile from talk-back radio, but Jeffrey thrives on it," Mr Couchman said. For the record, about 25 callers phoned the Couchman show after the 30-mlnute segment. Mr Couchman said most supported him.

Mrs Kay Cafarella, with Jessie, 3, Jack, 5, and past pupil Drew Taylor at the cash-strapped North Aspendale Kindergarten. Picture: JOHN woudstra Asian migration. Your child is exploring the moon with Neil Armstrong. Guided by the teacher, your child will learn amazing things through Classrooms of the Future. This new learning process is via SOF Web on the Internet.

By 1996 all Victorian primary and secondary government schools will be connected to the Internet. Every school will receive extra funds to .1 i purchase the hardware and software needed for the connection. Guided by the teacher, your child can talk about selected projects with other students in across the world. Classrooms of the Future provides a revolutionary way of preparing your child for the 21st Century. If you would like to know more, call the Education Line now.

FREECALL Education Line 1 800 809 834. to" SCHOOLS OF THE FUTURE Next week they'll make it- to Mars. COCKLE 1955B.