Page 2573 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 23 August 2006
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abandon the system, because this minister has sent the message that this is a sinking ship and you had better get off if you want to get your children educated. Anyone who can afford to will leave the system. What he will do by his actions is leave this system as a rump system, as a safety net system, for those people who cannot afford to go anywhere else. That is not what this Liberal opposition wants. This Liberal opposition wants a public education system for everyone, and the only way you can do this is to work with the community to map a way forward, and this motion does that.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Industrial Relations) (4.54): As the Chief Minister has already noted, the opposition’s motion has very little to do with the future of the ACT education system but is simply another attempt to delay the government’s investment in public education. Change is hard—and I understand the passion and commitment the community is showing for our public education system—but the opposition’s tactics do nothing to make the change easier. Delaying the 2020 proposal inevitably also delays the capital program that is an integral part of the reform package.
This government believes that scarce resources should be directed on the basis of educational need, not on the basis of geography alone. We believe that every child in the ACT should have access to quality learning environments, and that is why the government is making the single largest investment in public education in the history of self-government. This investment includes a $20 million outlay on information technology in our schools. The ACT will lead the nation in the use of IT in teaching and learning. Renewal of school IT infrastructure will ensure that students can enjoy all the opportunities that state-of-the-art access to the internet and cutting-edge technology can provide. Students in the ACT will be able to share their experiences with students around the world through video links. They will be able to carry around multimedia portfolios of their work throughout their schooling, perhaps even in their iPods. That is why we are committed to providing the latest technology in schools—to create closer links between parents, children and teachers in the ACT and throughout the world.
But modern schooling is not just about wireless networks and new computers. It is also about quality teaching and learning environments. Our public schools are badly in need of repair and renewal, and in recognising this problem the Stanhope government has committed $130 million over the next four years to upgrade and renew our ageing school infrastructure. This renewal process will include upgrading heating and cooling systems, fixing leaking roofs and improving playgrounds. There will be a strong focus on improving the look of government schools through external and internal repainting, and recarpeting of classrooms. We will also be investing in new halls, gymnasiums and specialist teaching areas in schools across the territory.
Once we have completed this major upgrading of school facilities we will be increasing the school maintenance budget by 25 per cent to ensure that facilities are kept in top condition. We as a government refuse to accept that students and teachers should work in surroundings that would be unacceptable in other workplaces. We will invest the money needed to ensure that our classrooms are worthy of the students and staff that work in them. In short, we will be ensuring that our school facilities live up to the promise of our students.
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