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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 876 ..

MR BERRY: Given that the Government has sold the Magistrates Court, complete with magistrates, refused to deny that it was investigating the sale of schools - one can only assume that the schools would come complete with children - and now you or someone in the Government has investigated the possibility of selling the cemeteries, we assume with their occupants, can you inform this Assembly whether there is anything you will not sell in order to prop up Mrs Carnell's financial incompetence?

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I made it clear that the initiative in terms of the future operation of the Woden Cemetery as a private cemetery has come from the private sector. The Government has not proposed it. The Government is considering expressions of interest that have come from the private sector. That raises the question of whether or not Woden should be reopened, and it raises the question, if it is to be reopened, of how it is to be operated. So the Government has not initiated any action to flog off the Woden Cemetery or any other cemetery. It is considering proposals that have come from the private sector. We have not determined, because the Government has not yet considered the matter, what the future of either Woden or Norwood Park cemetery is, other than under their present status. If there is to be any change, there will be a consultation process. The original thrust of this question was whether we have talked to the Cemeteries Trust. The answer is yes, we have asked for their views, and we will take their views into account.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Education, Mr Stefaniak. Could the Minister explain to the Assembly the reasons for this week commencing literacy tests of all ACT Years 3 to 5 students?

Ms McRae: Because he has a brief on it, that is why.

MR STEFANIAK: No, Ms McRae; because it is really an excellent thing to do. Mr Speaker, I want to put on record this Government's commitment to the highest possible standards of literacy and numeracy for all of our ACT government school students.

Ms McRae: Test the little souls. Do not teach them anything; just test them.

MR STEFANIAK: Shut up, Ms McRae, and you might learn something. The ACT Department of Education and Training has been focusing firmly on improving literacy and numeracy skills of all students, particularly those students who need additional assistance. However, the literacy standards of our young people are still a matter exercising the minds of educators and parents right around Australia, and we are all concerned that we must do better. At the March 1997 meeting of State and Territory Ministers for Education, there were discussions that demonstrated that literacy and numeracy success for all of our students must be a priority for all Australian governments. As a result, all Ministers agreed:

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