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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4125 ..

indigenous schools in Western Australia, and in several regional centres in New South Wales.

Examples of the outstanding literacy and numeracy programs implemented in the ACT can be experienced next week through the many celebrations that schools are holding as part of National Literacy and Numeracy Week. A number of schools will be showcasing their programs at the Canberra Centre next Friday, 3 September, and at the literacy and numeracy conference at the University of Canberra on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 September. I would encourage members to visit the National Literacy and Numeracy Week highlights expo and experience first-hand the wonderful learning environment created every day in ACT schools.

I would also like to congratulate all the students who took part in the national benchmarking. The results are a reflection of their hard work and dedication. I also record my thanks to ACT teachers, who again are providing the necessary skills to students to achieve the benchmark and, if they are not achieving, to help them to achieve next time.

I would also like to put on the record my appreciation that Mr Pratt just made one of his few public statements of support for public education in the ACT.

MS TUCKER (11.42): The Greens are happy to participate in this debate about literacy and numeracy. It is good to see that the government is monitoring and reporting on student performance in literacy and numeracy, and using the results of this reporting to adjust services to both indigenous and non-indigenous students in the ACT.

It is also good to see that the government’s 2003 ACT assessment program shows an improvement in the overall literacy results of indigenous students. Indigenous kids’ literacy levels, especially indigenous boys’ literacy levels, are significantly below non-indigenous literacy levels right across Australia. It is important to note, however, that as the indigenous student population in the ACT is relatively small, the statistics should be considered in this light.

In looking behind the statistics in the government’s report and, in exploring whether the improvements in indigenous literacy outcomes are system-wide or focused on particular schools, communities, teachers, or assistance, I would be interested to know whether there are, for example, methods, processes or learning environments that have achieved particular successes, which could improve outcomes in other areas of the ACT education system.

However, in exploring and recognising these individual differences and successes, it is important that we do not slide towards the league table style reporting currently being pushed by the federal government. Such “league table” style reporting in the UK has led to a hardening of the line between poor schools and rich schools, between middle class and working class, and across race divides. In the end, more resources have ended up going to kids who in fact need fewer resources and the kids who need extra assistance have been missing out altogether.

Christopher Bantick, an education commentator, tells us that in the UK 150 schools have closed and the national curriculum has atrophied while centring on increasingly

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