Page 382 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 13 May 1992
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Belconnen task force report on school restructuring and the three Cs document, "Cohesion, Co-ordination and Communication", that was issued in 1989. It may well have gone back to encompass some of the incomplete recommendations of the document "The Challenge of Change", which was produced in the mid-1980s. You may remember it, Mr Cornwell.
I think it was Mr Moore who said, "There has been a great deal of discussion about high schools and it is time for action". I have no dispute with that. We are about to continue the action. I think it is fair to point out that a great deal of the three Cs document has been implemented. I think people found it a useful document, and to a considerable extent the department and schools have taken its recommendations on board. Certainly it is my intention now, as Minister, to implement the high school education plan that you will shortly see.
I might point out that the Labor policy document went rather further than Ms Szuty's motion by pointing out that we will develop a plan not just for the development of high schools but also for the appropriate funding of high schools. Obviously, the plan will need to be worked within the budget context. That will understandably create some problems because the budget, as we all know, does present problems. In our campaign policy we committed some funds to specific purposes indicated by Mr Cornwell, and over the life of this parliament that commitment will be implemented. They were not enormous amounts of money that we committed for that particular reason, but we are taking some measures.
Mr Moore commented that high schools were something of a cinderella, and Mr Cornwell said that they were the poor relation of our school system, particularly compared with secondary colleges. It was certainly the case that when the colleges were first established they were very handsomely resourced, and stood in some contrast to our high schools, which nevertheless were well resourced - they were not poorly resourced. Over the years, as budget restrictions have been imposed, staffing in colleges has been reduced more than in any other sector. That is a measure of the acknowledgment of the difference between the two systems.
It has not been the case that we have been able to increase resources in high schools, because they compare quite well with high schools in other systems. As well as I can judge all the data that is out, our high schools are in the middle range, about average, for staffing. They are not the best; they are not the worst. Our high schools are generally in reasonably good buildings, depending on their age. Some buildings are showing signs of wear, with up to 1,000 students walking through them day in, day out. But, in general, our high schools are in quite sound condition. The staffing and the resources in our high schools are quite good. We would hope to do more. I note what is being said.
I want to go on to say that no matter what resources we pour into our high schools, or any other level of education in the ACT, you do not get school improvement without the effort of those in the schools - the teachers and the students. The quality of education in the end, regardless of resources, depends on the work of the people in the schools. I want everybody clearly to understand that. We have the conditions in our schools now for quality education. We have that quality. We have the conditions in our schools now to improve that quality education. If we can do something by way of adding to resources to encourage what teachers and students do, we will be very happy to do it.
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