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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (11 November) . . Page.. 3968 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

One thing that has not been mentioned by the members is the structure of the board. The board operates five subcommittees and 45 subject panels with some 350 members. The board meets separately with all college level principals and other stakeholders, and these forums provide wide participation for many groups. Other groups perhaps interested in being involved in this, such as the TLC, are already members of other bodies. For example, the TLC is already a member of the board's vocational education and training subcommittee. Of course, if they wanted to do so, they could join other board subcommittees.

Finally, Ms McRae did mention the external member. I think the board requires an external member because of the nature of our school population. Many of our students seek to study and work after Year 12 outside the ACT. That is just part of the nature of where kids go after they finish Year 12. It is thus very important to keep our policies in line with those of other States. We do not always have access to areas of educational expertise, for example, in outcomes and criterion reference assessment.

I again state that the Government is happy that the membership of the board can be reviewed in two to three years' time. I think that is a very sensible suggestion. No doubt, if there are any problems arising from this, that can be picked up then. I thank members once again for their comments. I have a number of procedural amendments which I will be moving in the detail stage, and I will speak briefly to them then.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Clauses 1 to 7, by leave, taken together.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Training) (6.07), by leave: I move amendments Nos 1 to 7 that are circulated in my name, Mr Speaker, and which read as follows:

Page 2, line 19, clause 3, insert the following definition:

"`national agreement' means an agreement that -

(a) is entered into by the Territory, the Commonwealth, the States and the Northern Territory;

(b) deals with the provision of vocational education; and

(c) is declared by the Minister, by notice published in the Gazette, to be a national agreement for the purposes of this Act;".

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