Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1697 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Mr Speaker, used in this way, the systematic collection of data would improve opportunities and learning outcomes for our students. And this Government is determined to do just that - to improve opportunities for our young people to learn. With the introduction of the national curriculum profile of student learning, we have for the first time the ability to share with parents information concerning the performance of our children in relation to national benchmarks. It is important to note that providing parents with this comparative data in literacy and numeracy, as happens in all other States and Territories, will supplement and complement the current school reporting process. The Government is aware that assessment and reporting alone will not improve outcomes; but the information will make possible more accurate targeting of resources and support in classrooms, within schools and throughout the system as a whole.

The combination of existing school reporting mechanisms and thoughtful application of the data on student attainment will lead to improved standards and learning outcomes. Schools will continue to provide parents with individual student reports, in both oral and written form, as they have always done; but the information will be significantly enhanced by the inclusion of system-wide data at significant points in their child's school career. This additional information will assist parents in understanding the learning needs of their child and build on the home-school partnership. I mentioned earlier how essential this partnership is to student success.

I have indicated earlier, Mr Speaker, that literacy and numeracy are fundamental to proper functioning in contemporary Australian society. However, government schooling is not intended to make young people just literate and numerate. Schools must assist young people to acquire a whole range of skills and behaviours which will prepare them to be productive, well-adjusted members of our community. The recent COAG service provision report, to which this Government contributed, recognises the importance of social objectives in determining curriculum and structure in Australia's schools. We will be inviting non-government schools to participate in this important initiative. They, too, will have the opportunity to assess and monitor student performance in a systematic way. It is our view, Mr Speaker, that parents of all ACT school students have the right to accurate and reliable information about the progress of their children. I would encourage the non-government schools sector to take up this invitation.

Mr Speaker, some States in Australia assess whole-population cohorts, while others sample age cohorts. There are points for and against whole-population assessment or for a sampling approach. Whole-population assessment makes sense in the ACT because it would provide very useful planning information for the whole system. In addition, because of our size, we would need to sample more than half of our students in any year group to get reliable data, at any rate. However, the Government is conscious of the need to protect the rights of parents to decide whether their children should be part of system-wide assessment.

Bearing these two points in mind - the need for system-wide data and the rights of parents - the Government has decided to introduce system-wide assessment and to give parents the opportunity to decide whether their child participates. That is, Mr Speaker, in respect of each child in the years selected for assessment, that child's parents will be asked in writing whether they wish to participate. I will repeat that, Mr Speaker.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .