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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 3850 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

There are some significant exceptions that involve schools, and I think we should be particularly aware of them. That is the issue Ms Tucker raised when she moved her amendment. I am much more strongly attracted to Ms Tucker's amendment than to the original motion moved by Ms McRae. Much of Ms Tucker's amendment would be consistent with Ms McRae's sentiments, which I have heard her talk about on quite a number of occasions. I am very comfortable about the amendment but have some doubt about the motion.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Training) (11.23): I will speak to the amendment, Mr Speaker. Ms Tucker mentioned that Mr Moore, she and I had a meeting. She indicated that she recently wrote to me. Maybe the department has the letter; I certainly do not. On that basis the amendment is premature. If Ms Tucker does not get a response she is happy with, by all means she can move this amendment, but tabling an assessment in the Assembly on the first sitting day next year seems to be a little bit different to what we discussed in the meeting with Mr Moore. I indicate that the Government will not be supporting the amendment, although the points raised in my meeting with Ms Tucker and Mr Moore will be progressed. That is a separate issue entirely. I stand by what was said in that particular meeting. Ms Tucker has gone off on an ideological plane.

One point Mr Moore mentioned is very relevant. Canberra's schooling is not like that in some of the other large cities. Whilst there are some pockets of disadvantage, our system has always been very mindful of them and has always had in place a very large number of programs and significant financial assistance to assist those students in our system who suffer from some disadvantage, of whatever kind that may be. Under the proposals for enhanced school-based management, there are systems in place to give assistance, including financial assistance, to schools where that is needed. I remind Ms Tucker also of the equity fund, the literacy fund and several other programs within the department whereby students and schools in pockets of disadvantage can be offered assistance. I think she is coming at this from a very extreme ideological perspective which seems to be quite different from what anyone else in this Assembly is on about. For that reason, together with the meeting I had with Mr Moore and Ms Tucker and the fact that Ms Tucker has written me a letter I have not seen yet, I think this amendment is premature and inappropriate.

MS McRAE (11.25): Thank you, Minister, for pointing out that we are talking about extended school-based management. If we wanted to be formal, I would amend the motion; but that is precisely what I am talking about. First and foremost, as the Minister has pointed out, not all schools will have to do everything from day one next year. I grant that. I never suggested that they would. The point is that the schools having the most problems with the issue are the schools that do not know what it is that they have to do. They are uncertain. Despite the fact that the Minister talks about 18 months of training, they have not had 18 months of training. They have not been able to avail themselves of 18 months of training. Let us not skip over that. There was a major period when that training was not available.

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