Page 657 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 23 March 1993
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The Chief Minister, in her tabling statement on priorities, made it quite clear that these were priorities in relation to, first, legislation, and secondly, administration. She tabled the legislative program but, of course, she also made it quite clear that legislation is but a part of the Government's program. It is the continuing administration that is no less important and which, in many circumstances, is more important.
I want to make some comments in this vein about education. One piece of legislation in the Government's legislative program on education has to do with the registration of providers of training programs, et cetera, for overseas students. It is an important piece of legislation. However, I would be the first to say that it is not an earth-shattering piece of legislation. Again, it is part of that steady progress. But, along with that, we are doing a great amount, within the Department of Education, with government policies and priorities, to enhance and to improve education in the ACT. Do not judge education, as Mr Kaine - without mentioning education - seems to want to do, by looking at the legislation program, because there is so much happening in education, to maintain and to enhance the system, that is very important.
It is generally agreed that we have a good system of education in the ACT. I do not say that too often, because the system is never good enough and it has always to improve. We have to build on the strengths that we have. To do that, we have constantly to review and improve our system for good growth. There is no conflict with that when I say that by providing stability and consolidation within our system we are allowing that to happen. Perhaps it is a good comment, a good throwback to the word "incremental", because bit by bit we are reviewing, changing, monitoring our system. We are not taking a revolutionary step to overthrow the system. There was a step like that back in the early seventies. The system we have now is still based on that, but there is that constant attention to detail to see that it remains a good system. I believe that providing stability and security to the education system enables us to look at the particular programs we have in education to see that it continues to improve.
Part of that good management by the ACT Government, and the education system is part of that, is doing more with less. The Federal Government is not giving us any more money. We all know the budget realities in this Assembly. I believe that the Opposition generally realise that. So we have to maintain our quality system with less money. Therefore, the way we look at our system becomes very important. At the moment we have a number of steady reviews going on. We are continuing with our secondary college blueprint and with our high school development plan. They have been going on rather longer than we had expected, but that is not surprising, because of the very significant changes coming from the Federal level - the changes attached to Carmichael and Mayer.
Whereas last year I thought we would be in a position to finalise those documents, they have carried on, quite sensibly, a little longer. In the end I think we will see some very sound documents that will further progress our system. This year within education we are having a hard look at curriculum, professional development and behaviour management. We are talking to the teachers and the education community and saying, "Are you satisfied there? What may we do to further enhance our system?". I believe that this is the way that education, as one arm of the whole of the Government's plan, continues to improve.
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