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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2592 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

I wonder exactly what the process will be. I have asked the Minister what it will be once the report comes out. I hope that if there is dissension within the group it will be explored further. In this time of extreme financial restraint, we need to know that the money being allocated is actually being usefully spent. I am not personally convinced that this is the way to be spending extra resources in education.

MR STEFANIAK (12.14), in reply: I thank members for their comments. Mr Speaker, I will deal firstly with a few things which Ms McRae mentioned. I do not think anyone would expect any plan such as this to be the be-all and end-all. There are a number of very complex issues, but I would have to disagree with her when she says that this will make no difference. What is being proposed and what is being worked through by the reference group is going to assist. I really cannot see how Ms McRae could say that it will not assist in any way; that it will make no difference. It may not be the be-all and end-all, but students and parents do have a right to see the system improve. The reference group is currently going through the process.

We need to confirm teacher judgment, which is informed but does need to be supported. The criticism in the past has been that teacher judgment has not necessarily been supported enough and that there are gaps in students' learning in literacy and numeracy. We are always hearing of students who slip through the gaps. It is not a case of schools knowing exactly what needs to be done and there simply being other problems which are not being properly addressed. People do slip through the gaps. That does not happen just in Canberra; it happens nationwide. The P and C often bandies about a figure of up to 20 per cent for students having literacy and numeracy problems into high school. I can accept what Mr Moore says. Yes, students do develop differently and at different ages. That is very true, but I do not think anyone here can seriously dispute that there are students who fall through the gaps.

Ms McRae asked how we can possibly say that students and parents have a right to know how students are progressing against others. I do not think it is quite as simple as that bland statement, Ms McRae. How can you assist those who need assistance if parents do not know how their children are actually going in such things as literacy and numeracy? They do not necessarily have to know how somebody else in the class is going. There could well be a very important question of privacy. They are the issues which the group is looking at. I certainly think parents and students have a right to know how students are going and especially whether they need additional assistance.

Both Ms McRae and Mr Moore spoke of testing. The group is looking at best practice in assessment. I think that is important too. It is simply not just one-off testing, as Mr Moore quite appropriately pointed out. We are looking - and this is included in the terms of reference - at the most appropriate assessment instrument for the ACT. The reference group is looking at that, given the use of national profiles and our curriculum frameworks in the context of school-based curriculum development.

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