Page 1358 - Week 05 - Thursday, 31 May 2007
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Supplementary answer to question without notice
Schools—performance
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Minister for Industrial Relations) (6.32): Yesterday in question time Mr Mulcahy asked a question in relation to studies or surveys that are undertaken in relation to bullying in ACT government schools and I took part of that question on notice.
I can advise the Assembly that each year one-third of ACT government schools conduct the school satisfaction survey as part of their school review cycle, and this survey of students, staff, parents and carers asks a range of questions on their perception of school performance. In 2006, as in previous years, the survey did ask a number of questions relating to bullying, harassment, acceptance of differences, tolerance and safety at schools. Schools also are able to undertake their own surveys as part of the national safe schools framework action plan in relation to bullying.
Adjournment
Debate resumed.
Wikipedia
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (6.33): Mr Speaker, it is great to have the minister for education here this evening. He might be able to explain to the Minister for Health what the median is, because we seemed to have the Minister for Health on the run at question time today as far as her understanding of the latest AIHW report is concerned. She does not understand what “median” means. We only have to look at question time today. What was the Minister for Health’s definition of “median” as she said in the Assembly today? It is the length of time from when you enter the list to when you are removed.
Mr Speaker, that is wrong. There are a number of ways you can find out the definition of median, you could go on line to Wikipedia. Their definition on line says, “In probability theory and statistics, a median is the number dividing the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one.”
Let us consider the definition from the Macquarie Dictionary. Mr Barr as an economist, knows all about this. It says, “The median is the middle value of a series of values arranged in the order of size”. If that is too difficult for the Minister for Health, she actually could have considered the definition that is contained in the AIHW report itself.
If she turns to page 121 it says, “The median is the middle value in a group of data arranged from the lowest to the highest value.” Clearly evident from the minister’s filibustering today when she had absolutely no idea about how to deal with the question on what was the median point of people on the waiting list, was the fact that she just does not understand.
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