Page 829 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 2 April 2008
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(h) acceptable use of information technology (IT);
(i) complaints resolution;
(j) visitors in schools framework;
(k) unwelcome visitors to schools handbook;
(l) physical education in schools;
(m) keeping children safe in cyberspace; and
(n) a Schools Standards Authority;
(5) that a recent report by the Australian Council for Educational Research found that regardless of their socio-economic background, ACT students are performing better academically than their peers around the rest of Australia;
(6) that despite continued public criticism of ACT public schools by the Liberal Opposition, the ACT Government’s Public Schools—So much more to offer campaign is successfully promoting the world-class education offered by ACT public schools; and
(7) that the ACT Liberals have released no substantial education policy since the beginning of December 2007.”.
I ask for the amendment to be circulated. This amendment outlines, firstly, the Assembly’s commitment to continue the support of the 2020 renewal process. We are two years in. You cannot turn around a 30-year drift away from public education in two years, particularly when you are only halfway through an investment program. I am asking for the Assembly’s continued support for this program.
I would also like to take the opportunity to highlight all of the areas that the government has targeted in terms of increased education investment since coming to power in 2001. We have a very detailed list that members can have a look at, but I would like to highlight most particularly in recent times the $20 million investment in information communications technology; the $14.6 million investment in pastoral care; the $3.3 million into Indigenous education and the $1.2 million to revitalise PE in schools, in partnership with the Children’s Physical Activity Foundation that I launched yesterday. Again I thank the John James Memorial Foundation for their sponsorship of that foundation, and I thank Olympian Adam Pine for agreeing to be spokesperson and chair of the foundation board, which is terrific for physical education in our schools.
I would also like to highlight the range of new areas of policy and direction in education policy, not least of which are: national testing; early childhood education; ICT in schools; safe schools; countering bullying, harassment and violence; restorative justice programs; countering racism; acceptable use of IT; complaints resolution; a framework for visitors to schools; policies around unwelcome visitors;
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