Page 446 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 4 March 2008
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ensure that the ACT will lead the nation in the use of IT in teaching and learning. Renewal of our school information technology infrastructure is vital to ensure that students can enjoy all of the opportunities that state-of-the-art access to the internet and other areas of ICT technology can provide in enhancing the quality of education. 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 and to prepare our students and our city for the future.
We are very pleased to be able to do this in partnership with the new federal government. It is essential, in an increasingly globalised world, that our students have access to the types of information and communication technology that are being used more and more in everyday life. It is also important that students are ready and able to engage with people from all cultures and all countries. That is why, as part of planning for the future in education, the government is committed to ensuring that all public schools in the ACT offer a language other than English by 2010—again, consolidating resources and improving quality in our education system. The government will fund high-quality interactive language training for primary school teachers and language teachers to ensure there are quality programs for students. This investment will help to increase professional skills for all language and primary school teachers in order to increase the ability of schools to offer language programs. Investing in these language programs will help to prepare students for their role in a globalised economy.
It is particularly the case in teaching languages used by our closest regional neighbours, so I highlight Indonesian, Japanese, Mandarin and Korean as important languages. Besides equipping our students with the skills they will need to work in various geographic locations across the globe, the study of languages has a more immediate benefit in helping children to understand and appreciate the variety of cultures and traditions that make up our vibrant, multicultural city.
In looking to the future of our city, it is important that we have a healthy and active community. Currently, Canberra leads the nation in participation in sport and recreation, and this bodes well for an active and healthy community. But we have seen, in recent times, a reduction in physical education in Australian schools as curriculums become more crowded and as issues such as literacy and numeracy have taken priority. I believe we have seen a diminution of physical education in schools and, as the only sport and education minister in the country, I am embarking on a massive promotion of physical education within ACT schools.
Last year, the government announced $1.2 million to fund three specialist PE teachers to work with primary schools, to provide additional professional support to primary school teachers to build our capacity to deliver quality physical education programs. We are also working towards the expansion of the Australian school-based apprenticeship program to include opportunities for senior students to undertake VET certificates in sport and recreation and to provide extra support for primary school teachers. This year, all primary school students in the ACT will be invited to participate in the minister’s physical activity challenge. The aim of this initiative is to encourage children to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. All schools will be invited to participate and individual classes will take up the challenge. We are
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