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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (2 April) . . Page.. 1232 ..

MRS BURKE (continuing):

I note, Mr Speaker-and I am sure that my colleagues will know, too-that there is a federal inquiry into vocational education in schools currently underway and it obviously is placing a huge emphasis on that. We need to be backing up the system, looking at these things much earlier than we are. I could have told them that; I would have willingly told them that had they asked me. I could have told them what we seem to be being told all the time.

I want to pick up and comment on a couple of points that other speakers so eloquently made. Ms Tucker talks about Christian values. The Christian values that Ms Tucker refers to are very much the driver for choice in education in our community. All schools, Christian and non-Christian, need our support.

Many parents are prepared to go without and to make sacrifices. My parents did so for me. I do not call them well off. I would like Ms Gallagher to know that my parents did without. Maybe I am of the old school, but my parents worked very hard to send us through private schools. Am I to be judged or my parents condemned for that? Choosing to send their children to these schools means hardship and doing without, and parents gladly do so. Are we now judging people's right to choose anything but public schools?

Ms Gallagher makes the suggestion that the current funding models for schools only support those who are well off. I am sorry, but this is a very naive statement. As I said, many parents go without to send their children to schools that are not public schools. Have you asked these parents why this is so? Have we asked the parents why there seems to be a fundamental shift from the public school sector to the independent private/Catholic school sector?

Ms Dundas made the point that she did not agree with Mr Pratt's motion because she reckoned the report was good; that the report pointed out that more money should go to pre-schools and to provide services to students with disabilities. Again, I would like to think that the government already knew that. I was lobbied about these issues when I was last in this Assembly. We know these things.

The two sectors always need support, financially and in every other way. We all know this. We did not need another amount of money to be spent to tell us that. Of course, no-one in this place would not be for public schooling, and I think it is a real insult to infer that we are all private school wallowers and that we do not believe in public schooling. Well, I went through a private and public school system, so I am very much for it.

Mr Corbell said he was disappointed. Well, so are we. He also mentioned accountability of public funds. What about reports to school boards? It is nonsense to say that schools are not accountable. It is nonsense for him, as a former education minister, to say that there is no accountability. Members on this side of the Assembly are protecting choice and diversity and adding to the input of our students. Mr Speaker, I rest my case and support Mr Pratt's motion.

Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.

Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm.

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