Page 3025 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 17 October 2007
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That is particularly important—that we see the complementation of vocational courses. We need to move to a model where vocational training is valued more highly than it has been in the past. That is now starting to be acknowledged at all levels of government. That is an important initiative that we need to continue to build on. We do not want to see a situation where the overwhelming emphasis of years 11 and 12 is on kids who go on to university. That is going to be an extremely important part of it—we want to see high levels of university entrants from the ACT; I am sure we will continue that—but for many of our students that is simply not what they want; that is not the career path they want. It is just as legitimate for them to seek a trade or other technical qualifications with which to pursue their career.
I note what the federal government has had to say on this issue, but it is important that we continue to emphasise that we value vocational training and technical training, and that we do not see them as somehow lesser than a university education. A university education is very important, but technical training is increasingly important. We want to see that enhanced; and that recommendation is important to that end. Recommendation 10 is:
That approaches to assessment in the senior years curriculum give greater emphasis to comparability and to reliable, rigorous and innovative moderation processes.
Once again, that is very important. It is something that the Liberal Party has been talking about for some time. We need to have some comparisons—some objective comparisons. That is an important recommendation. Recommendation 11 is:
That consideration be given to structural arrangements that will enable greater continuity of curriculum provisions for students in ACT schools and colleges.
Once again some of these are fairly commonsense. Recommendation 12 is:
That the Department of Education and Training facilitates and supports an action research model, professional learning for college teachers and executive staff.
Recommendation 13 is:
That the Department of Education and Training develops a high school-to-college transition program that provides for the case management of students at risk of not completing a full 13 years of schooling or its equivalent.
Once again, we would need to look at some of the costings in that. Recommendation 14 is:
That the Department of Education and Training establishes explicit targets in relation to the implementation of pathways planning in colleges to ensure that students’ educational needs are appropriately met.
Many of these are commonsense recommendations. Most, if not all, should be considered by this government and taken forward.
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