Page 4989 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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MR WOOD (Minister for Education and the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.29): That question will be debated in the future. It will be, I have no doubt, a significant part of the forthcoming election campaign. I might indicate that, on coming into the position of Minister for Education, I stated very strongly, all over the ACT countryside, though I have to say that it was not particularly reported, that my focus in schools would be in classrooms. I believe that that is where the priority needs to be. I continue to push that point of view quite strongly. That is not particularly the point you were raising, I realise, Mr Humphries; but that debate will be expanded as the election campaign hots up.
MRS NOLAN (11.30): Mr Speaker, very briefly, there are a couple of points in relation to government schooling that I think are important. In particular, as a member of the Standing Committee on Social Policy, I am aware of the problems of behavioural disturbance we have in our schools. It is a very important issue and it is one that needs to be addressed. I am sure that Mr Wood, as prior chairman of that committee, is well aware of some of the issues relating to that problem.
The other area that I think governments need to address is that of gifted and talented children. I do believe that, unfortunately, not enough emphasis has been placed in more recent times on programs for gifted and talented children. I would like to place on record my views in relation to a very good program that is currently operating at Wanniassa High School. I am aware that there are other programs operating as well, but I think that that particular small program has proved its worth. I think it would be well and truly worthwhile to see similar programs operating in more schools. Part of the problem is that those gifted and talented children become very easily bored in a classroom, and we then find all sorts of problems occurring before very long.
I have always believed, in relation to government schooling and non-government schooling, that it should be a situation where there is equity for all. Unfortunately, I believe, in the school debate, that really did get out of context. I still have to question the dollar figure in relation to the reopening of Cook and Lyons schools. I think it was some $532,000. I believe that that amount of money for 187 students was an inappropriate amount of money. That is not to say that those communities had not as much right as anyone else to articulate their view and argue for their reopening; but, in terms of financial constraints, when we then saw a similar figure imposed on the three non-government schools, it is unfortunate that we did have to see the reopening of those two schools.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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