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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 3876 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Ms McRae also mentioned staff. Mr Speaker, the principal will manage and consult with staff on both campuses to determine their most efficient use. It is highly likely that over time teachers will elect to teach at alternate sites for their own professional advancement. Mr Speaker, teaching and non-teaching staff will be involved in developing the twin campus details with the college executive and board. From this process, the details of staff movement will be discussed in terms of college needs.

Mr Speaker, one of the other things she was concerned about was supervision. Staff in both colleges are professional educators. As a result of developing the strategic directions, they will ensure ownership of and commitment to the success of the twin campus. There will, of course, be one principal in relation to both campuses. In terms of things like staffing cuts, the answer is no. The normal staffing procedures will operate there. There will be some initial savings of money, but for the first two years that will be ploughed back into the colleges. There will be about $70,000 a year there, Ms McRae.

So, in terms of the actual twinning, it is going along very effectively. It is, I think, being positively received by the communities there. In fact, I have recently seen a couple of the newsletters, especially the Stirling College newsletter, and I understand that everyone concerned is working away very well to make this a very successful operation. I think it does give great educational opportunities for the students of Woden and Weston. I think everyone is working towards making the new twin campus an exemplary educational institution in the ACT.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Minister, will you be making a public statement or providing any public guidelines on these changes that are proposed? Who, in fact, is in charge of these procedures? You listed most of the things that I mentioned, but you did not say whether it was being coordinated by a committee or an individual person, or who was actually doing the oversighting of these new arrangements. So, who is doing it, and will you be making a public statement or sending out a circular to this effect so that parents and students have all this information?

MR STEFANIAK: At present, Ms McRae, there is still a principal at Phillip and a principal at Stirling. From next year there will be just the one principal, and that position will be announced fairly soon. As I have indicated, it has been advertised, and that should be decided upon very shortly. So, when that occurs, Ms McRae, there will be just the one principal looking after both campuses. For Phillip College one of the big criticisms was that they did not have a principal or even an acting principal there. Of course, Di Scobie is at Stirling. But from the beginning of term 4 we did appoint an experienced college principal for Phillip. As I indicated, the permanent position will be announced prior to the start of the next school year.

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