Page 268 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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However, the one thing that Ms Follett, in my opinion, failed to address was the other end of the pipeline, that is, at the primary school, the high school and the college level where many of the problems relating to youth unemployment, I believe, are located. I do not say for a moment that this is the case in every situation. Like other members here, I attended the University of Canberra graduation ceremony a couple of weeks ago and, no doubt like other thinking people in this Assembly, I did worry about those people who were graduating, as to whether or not they would be able to find employment. This is not a matter of their being inadequately qualified; it is just because of the circumstances that apply at the moment.
Nevertheless, there are people in the community who, I believe, are not being properly prepared to face the very competitive field of seeking employment, simply because our education system allowed them to slip through the net. On 8 April, Mr Moore delivered a little homily to us about the answer to the problems of students who suffered from basic difficulties. I am talking now, obviously, of literacy and numeracy. He said that these problems could be solved by decreasing class sizes. I do not know where we are to find the money for this little exercise, if it was true.
But I must support very strongly the comments made last week by Virginia Chadwick, the New South Wales Minister for School Education, in relation to the basic literacy and numeracy skills testing which she is promoting in New South Wales. I believe that her comments should be supported by any person with any concern in relation to this very difficult and sad problem of youth unemployment. I think it is worth while quoting some of the words that she said:
It's about time that we had a debate in our community about how we ensure that we don't doom young children to failure by sending them off after seven years of elementary education, into high school learning French, German, Japanese, physics, chemistry when they can't read, write or add up.
This seems to me to be simple commonsense.
Mr Wood: It does not happen here.
MR CORNWELL: I am not sure that you can say that, Mr Wood, because you have never put it to the test. I personally believe, Mr Wood, that we are probably doing better in the ACT, in terms of literacy and numeracy, than anywhere else in the country; that is a personal view. But I do not believe that we are 100 per cent correct. I do not believe that 100 per cent of our students who are going through the system are competent in literacy and numeracy.
Mr Wood: It is not bad, though, is it?
MR CORNWELL: I do not know. I have an expectation, Minister, that we are doing better than elsewhere, but I do not know for sure. I would like to have that reassurance, but you and the Labor Government - - -
Mr Wood: You have it.
MR CORNWELL: From Mr Berry? Goodness gracious!
Mr Kaine: He does not know what a split infinitive is!
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