Page 1875 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2022

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identifying any harm and respond to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions.

Madam Speaker, this legislation is a fantastic start to implementing these principles in the ACT government’s continued oversight over actions in all ACT schools. We in the ACT Greens believe that all students should be given all the supports they need to achieve their very best. This requires significant and ongoing investment from all levels of government, as well as supporting good policies and well-designed programs.

In the end, these amendments will only be as effective as their implementation on the ground, in our schools, with teachers, parents and students. This will include judicious measures in compliance and enforcement and ensuring that adequate resources are dedicated to student and teacher development. It would appear that we have the support of all colleagues in the Assembly. I thank all stakeholders for their engagement with my office and my team to prepare for our deliberations over this bill. Once again, the ACT Greens are pleased to support it.

MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women) (5.08), in reply: I table the following paper:

Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee (Legislative Scrutiny Role)—Scrutiny Report 17—Government response to Scrutiny comments on the Education Amendment Bill 2022.

Madam Speaker, my speech today covers the amendments as well as the bill. I am pleased to have the opportunity to debate the Education Amendment Bill 2022, which I presented in April 2022, which amends the Education Act 2004 and the Education Regulation 2005.

The bill continues the government’s work in ensuring that all schools in the ACT are providing high quality education, with the appropriate systems in place to ensure that our children and young people are safe and are able to access education, and our hardworking teachers and support staff are safe.

As you know, through the Future of Education Strategy, one of the first actions is to review and amend the act. This bill is the third phase of amendments to the act and includes significant reforms to suspensions, transfers, expulsions and exclusions across all schooling sectors. It enhances the monitoring of student movements across schools and schooling sectors and introduces new, ongoing registration and review processes for non-government schools.

As I have said many times in this place, it is critically important to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff in our schools. All schools in the ACT should be safe environments in which to learn and work. Various reports, such as the interim report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, highlight that nationally there are reports of disproportionate


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