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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1337 ..

and keep driving that wedge simply because you are not happy with what we are trying to do to add value to this bill. This bill falls short. What we are saying is that we want to see it enshrining a broad range of principles.

I take the point that the amendments may need to be extended to make sure that we formalise that link, but we intend—and I will put it on the record right now—to ensure that these principles conform from one end of the spectrum to the other end of the spectrum within the ACT education system.

Amendment negatived.

Clauses 37 to 74, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clause 75.

MR PRATT (8.15): I seek leave to move together amendments Nos 14 to 16 circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR PRATT: I move amendments Nos 14 to 16 circulated in my name [see schedule 3 at page 1376]. These amendments are the same as my previous amendment No 2 but relating to non-government schools, to establish the same principles as government schools, to allow all children to be educated under the same principles.

Amendments negatived.

MS DUNDAS (8.16): I move amendment No 4 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 1375]. This amendment works to make non-government schools more accountable. Although clause 80 provides for non-government schools to be accountable, when clause 75 is read in conjunction with clause 18 it appears that government schools are committed to accountability while non-government schools are not. This is to clarify the principles for non-government schools and government schools and make sure that they are consistent.

This amendment strengthens the commitment of non-government schools to be accountable to their school community, whether that is the religious community from which they draw their students or the community that their students are part of. It is a clause that I am just putting here in the principles so that we then have greater parity between the principles of the non-government school sector, which is clause 75, and those of the government school sector, which is clause 18 that I referred to earlier.

MS TUCKER (8.18): The Greens will not be supporting this amendment as I am not clear what implications there would be for a specific school to be accountable to its community and how that would in fact work. The government school principles more generally commit the government school system to “making information available to and being accountable for the operation of government schools”. That kind of accountability, while not in the principles here, is a part of other requirements in legislation.

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