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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1268 ..

the problems that are causing that continual suspension and help to reintegrate them into the school community.

I will be seeking to make non-government schools as committed to accountability as their government counterparts. One of the interesting issues with the legislation that I can remember from reading through it is the actual principles for government schools and non-government schools and what they are committed to.

I understand that these principles were developed in consultation with the stakeholders, the unions and the teachers from each of those areas. But when you read the provisions side by side it appears that government and non-government schools are committed to producing two distinct classes of students. I have an amendment that I think addresses what is an unintentional mistake to make sure that our students across the ACT are getting the same principles out of their education, that we are not building two separate classes when we do not need to.

Mr Speaker, I will address those amendments in greater detail at the detail stage, but again I put on the table the support that the Democrats have for this consolidation of the education legislation and the ideas underpinning what is trying to be achieved. However, we do need to make sure that no students miss out, that no young people are disadvantaged in education for whatever reason—due to a disability or due to social or economic status. We need to make sure that all our students are included and accessing that right to a high quality education.

I think that, with amendments, this legislation will result in putting more confidence out there in the community that our children are receiving high quality education and that, no matter what school they attend, the whole of the ACT education system is working in the best interests of all our students.

MRS BURKE (12.17): I want to make a few comments before we get deeper into the debate. I want to underpin and support some of the things that Mr Pratt has been talking about this morning. From my perspective I believe that it is fundamentally crucial that we have an education system that truly reflects society today. I believe what Mr Pratt is proposing will cover some of those things that perhaps have been not fully covered in the government’s proposal that is before us today. I hope that we can work together in this place to look through the raft of amendments before us not only from my colleague Mr Pratt but also from Ms Tucker and from the Democrats, through Ms Dundas.

The formative years of school—I talk about those years in vocational education training and higher education—are very important. It is very important that we get the core principles right at the beginning. I think that we have moved to a time when we really need to reflect better some of the things that society is faced with today. We are working on very old legislation and I commend the government and all the people who have worked hard on this to date. But I hope, as I say, that we can have some cooperation and conciliation in coming out with a bill that will be worthy of the input of all, not just of part.

It is disappointing that the government perhaps has not quite come up to the mark in terms of benchmarking principles, which really need to go to the heart of accountability and standards. We talk so much about rights today. We talk little about responsibilities

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