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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (5 September) . . Page.. 3130 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Mandatory reporting of child abuse - a requirement introduced into the ACT by this Government last year and to be implemented in 1997 - will assist in enforcing the message that violence towards children, whether by other children or by adults, is simply not acceptable. It is significant that we are having this debate during national child protection week, because I think this Government has already achieved more in the area of child protection than the previous Government did in its two terms of office. We have consolidated the Children's, Youth and Family Services Bureau into the Department of Education and Training. That certainly has positioned the department very well in terms of addressing a range of factors which contribute to violence in schools. We are now in a strong position to identify effectively the needs of our young people in a holistic and coordinated way, and to move towards meeting those needs. (Extension of time granted) By reorganising these services for young people we have put in place an improved coordinated system of service delivery to students, to their families, to schools and to teachers. This integrated approach will assist in improving the school environment, students' life opportunities and their educational outcomes.

The Government accepts that there is a connection between inequity and violence. It is focusing on prevention of violence but is dealing with inequities in different ways. I have already talked about the schools equity fund and the possible good news that might come in relation to that. Although there is some correlation between equity and violence, it is through policies, professional development, interagency collaboration and community support that the Government is seeking to establish a culture of non-violence.

The Government has policies in place which support and address the prevention of violence in schools. Access to a safe and productive learning environment is a major planned outcome identified in the "Education Plan for ACT Government Schooling 1995-97". Relevant strategies to achieve this outcome include coordination of support services, review and evaluation of behaviour management strategies, and continuing initiatives to eliminate harassment. Staff development has a strong focus on the fostering of safe school environments, to strengthen leadership, to improve specific teacher competencies and to develop relevant curriculum aiming to promote safe schools. Staff development is terribly important, Mr Speaker, in ensuring that teachers adopt the right strategies when incidents occur.

The Government is enthusiastically promoting the concept of safe school environments and is seeking to have this message kept well in mind by students, school staff and the wider school community. The safe schools policy framework will be released shortly and will provide clear support and direction from the Government for ACT government school boards, principals and staff. The framework emphasises positive student management and seeks to minimise violence and all forms of harassment.

Members of the Assembly will know that every school board, with the principal, staff and student body, is required to develop a policy, using departmental guidelines, for the management of student behaviour. These policies are regularly reviewed and schools are required to adopt preventative policies and strategies such as protective behaviours, gender awareness and human relationships programs to raise staff, student and community awareness of relevant legislation, policy and procedures. I think it is quite clear,

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