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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Tuesday, 24 August 2004) . . Page.. 4038 ..

members would you outline the major achievements of the Stanhope government in education over the past 2½ years?

MS GALLAGHER: I would be happy to outline the major areas of achievement in education in the ACT delivered by the Stanhope government since it came into office. On arrival in office in 2001 this government worked comprehensively to invigorate, renew and enhance the ACT education system. It secured and finalised the passage of the Education Act 2004, providing for reforms that would support flexible, responsive and student-centred education. An inquiry into ACT education funding, a first for the territory, has been undertaken by Ms Lyndsay Connors. The government accepted all but one of the recommendations when it responded to that report in May 2003.

In the 2003-04 budget the government provided $1.8 million over four years for the Career Transition Support Service to support government and non-government schools in the provision of effective guidance to students in their transition from school to work. This government provided $939,000 over four years to improve the health and fitness of school students across both government and non-government schools at primary and high schools and in senior secondary colleges. This government funded health coordinators at colleges. Two health coordinators will be working across our college system to provide support and information to students on health issues, drug education, alcohol and tobacco use, domestic violence, sexuality and relationships.

In the area of information and communication technology, the government allocated $11 million in its last budget to support ICT in schools to ensure that students in the ACT had access to the best equipment and programs in the country. This government allocated $906,000 over four years to assist parents and parents associations with the cost of preschool education. The Koori preschool program has been expanded to five sites with multiple sessions for each site to support children accessing preschools. The ACT Industry Training Advisory Association was established following de-funding by the Commonwealth and the industry training advisory boards.

We have seen huge increases in the number of apprenticeships and traineeships. In the period January to March 2004, we saw a 23 per cent increase in apprentices and trainees, a 400 per cent increase in existing workers undertaking training and a 64 per cent increase in new apprenticeships commencing in the government sector. To support these increases in the 2004-05 budget the government provided $9.5 million over four years to guarantee quality vocational education and training for ACT workers. A well-resourced and supported public education system is central to the government’s education reforms.

With the Industrial Relations Commission’s ratification of the teachers enterprise agreement we secured a deal to have the best paid teachers in the country in our public school system. We lowered class sizes to an average of 21 in years K to 3. In curriculum renewal we provided $2.3 million over four years to ensure that our curriculum is the best it can be for students in our schools. We had a report into boys’ education. We formed the Government School Education Council. We implemented individual school pathway plans for all students in years 9 to 10 to help with the transition into secondary education. We improved professional learning opportunities for teachers.

We implemented the school excellence initiative to allow for a full review of individual school operations to occur more frequently within the school improvement framework.

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