Page 3974 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 23 November 1993
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MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry, Ms Szuty, but there seems to be a lot of banter and I thought it might be safer to put the question to rest. Please proceed, Ms Szuty - in silence, please.
MS SZUTY: Madam Speaker, I think it would be closer to the mark to say that I am angry that this debate has had to occur - angry that the Minister and the Treasurer have chosen to ignore both subtle and overt calls for them to reverse the decision outlined in the budget, namely, to cut 80 school based teaching and support positions. Last month I moved a motion in this Assembly which was passed, calling on the Minister to maintain all school based positions targeted in the 1993-94 budget. Since that time the Minister has failed to take action in response to the will of the Assembly and has proceeded along the path criticised by school communities, teachers and the broader community. The fact that school principals have been given the task of identifying where these cuts should occur has demonstrated the Minister's disregard for the opinions of Assembly members and other significant members of our community. The Government has not even identified where it feels there is room for expenditure cuts. It has decreed only that the cuts must come from the coalface.
Another issue that I would like to raise in this debate is the lack of commitment demonstrated by the Minister for Education and the Treasurer to their own education policy platform, which Mr Moore referred to earlier, at the commencement of this debate. I quoted the following passage during debate on my earlier motion, as I felt that the words expressed what the community felt was the commitment of Labor during the election:
Labor believes the next three years should be a period of stability and consolidation. The debate should focus on the quality of education provided by the school system, not simply on the cost of schools and school buildings themselves.
Labor recognises the crucial role of teachers and the need to ensure that they have appropriate opportunities for professional development, job satisfaction and career enhancement.
No career enhancement opportunities exist when teacher positions are being cut and there is a threat over the continuation of teacher careers. Ironically, the Labor Party document I referred to is entitled "Protecting Canberra's Schools".
Madam Speaker, the actions of the Minister for Education and the Treasurer warrant the passage of this motion today. The Assembly has specifically directed that no school based positions be cut, and this instruction so far has been ignored. There have been promises of consultation, but the end result has been school principals deciding, on instructions from the department, where their particular schools will experience cuts. This has been an extremely difficult process for schools.
I have seen some of the initial responses of the high schools and colleges, in particular, and, despite the Government's warm words about cutting teaching positions but not affecting students, the evidence so far shows increased class sizes, cuts to language programs, and other subjects being put in jeopardy. Electives will be cut in high schools, which will impact on students. Technology courses are being cut back, or plans to introduce technology courses are being dropped. Physical education is slipping in priority at a time when sport and physical activity are being recognised as helping in the learning process.
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