Chapter 294: Chapter 260: Current Development Issues_3

After a small period of silce, Minister of Education Richard Noble Chapman stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the tasks of the education departmt this year are heavy, and our budget is already short. The Ministry of Education requests at least 5 million Australian dollars for the financial budget, to be used for the expansion of existing universities and to construct two new universities."

"How is the work of the Education Departmt going on at prest? Approximately how much is your finance budget for this year? Has it be spt so quickly?" Arthur queried.

At the annual d of the year summary meeting, the financial budget for the next year is allocated to each departmt based on the circumstances of the previous year.

A departmt like the Ministry of Education, which the governmt attaches extra consideration to, typically receives an extra budget of a two million Australian dollars.

"Your Majesty, we plan on expanding the Australasia National University and Oakland University, developing them into the first and second universities in Australilarasia.

The expansion of these two universities requires about one million Australian dollars each, especially for Australasia National University, it needs a budget of at least one to .5 million Australian dollars to keep pace with European universities." Minister of Education Richard explained.

"Moreover, to reserve more technical talts for the Leonora Industrial Base, we have built one technical training school each in West Australia and South Australia, to cultivate skilled workers for the industrial base. There are also expansions of technical schools near Sydney and Melbourne, which all together have also cost two million Australian dollars.

The total budget of the Ministry of Education this year is only 6 million Australian dollars, minus the normal maintance costs of several universities, the available budget of the Ministry of Education is now less than one million Australian dollars, and we are unable to build any new universities." explained Richard.

The Ministry of Education indeed took longer strides this year, not only plan on expanding existing universities but also trying to attain the standards of European Universities.

If they could have t universities, it would mean that they could cultivate thousands or ev ts of thousands of university studts each year. This would greatly fill the gap of intermediate-level talts and ev plant the seeds for the developmt of high-level talts in Australasia.

Among these thousands of university studts each year, many outstanding scitists and various experts could be fostered, and these talts are crucial for the developmt and construction of the country.

Ev though Arthur can obtain a certain number of high-level talts every year by virtue of the Victoria Award, these self-cultivated talts are definitely more loyal than the attracted talts, and they are also very handy to use.

Everyone's eyes th turned to Finance Minister Roger Jackson, waiting for the final opinion of the finance departmt.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Roger Jackson chuckled reluctantly and said, " Since the Prime Minister has said so, how can the finance departmt not support it? Your Majesty, the finance departmt can provide about 8 to million Australian dollars of financial budget to help the education departmt build more universities and expand schools.

But after this million Australian dollars are spt, I am afraid this year's financial situation will show a deficit again. Don't blame me wh that happs, Your Majesty!"

Before Arthur could speak, Prime Minister Walter quickly said: "Rest assured, Minister Roger. This financial budget is to be used for education, ev if there is a slight deficit, it wouldn't be much. This is a decision that everyone is involved in, and Your Majesty is watching personally; who would blame you?"

In the d, Arthur instructed: "Minister Richard, I hope that this additional financial budget can be used for education. Wh the Ministry raises its results, you, as the Minister, should take the credit. But I hope there won't be any shoddy work in the construction of universities and other schools.

The studts of Australasia should live in a safe and comfortable vironmt, not some dangerous construction, do you understand?"