Page 3770 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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behalf of members of this Assembly—although I have learnt today that I will only speak on behalf of members on this side of the chamber—we are proud of you. I would like to thank all for their innovative ideas and hard work. I look forward to hearing more about their strategies and programs, through the safe schools task force and through the youth advisory committee, to address violence and bullying in schools. Some of these strategies may, indeed, be useful in the wider community.
Bullying and violence will only disappear from our schools when we address these problems as a community. That is why we are working to build safer communities in Canberra and why I am so pleased that Ms Porter brought this motion forward today. Her leadership and conviction in relation to restorative practices are noted in the community. She has certainly worked very closely with me and with schools in her electorate to ensure that restorative practices become a key element in their approach to addressing these concerns. It is no surprise to me, given Ms Porter’s passion in this area, that 80 per cent of ACT schools are adopting these practices. I look forward to working with her to ensure that it is 100 per cent by the end of this term, I hope, or even sooner. Thank you, Ms Porter, again for bringing this motion forward tonight. I commend it to the Assembly.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (6.58): I am pleased to support Ms Porter’s motion here tonight on restorative justice. The ACT Greens believe that the positive development of children and young people is paramount. Everyone should have access to an education that meets their needs and aspirations and equips them with the skills and capacity to participate in society. It is a responsibility of government to ensure the provision of high quality, well-resourced and safe learning environments which are open to all students. The provision of such learning environments will allow the development of a responsive and relevant education system that is underpinned by community involvement and recognises that parents and guardians play a critical role in the education of their children.
Restorative justice is not a new strategy but perhaps receives less attention within the community as it begins from a different premise—that is, the need to make an offender accountable for their actions through confronting the harm they have caused the victim and by providing the offender with an opportunity to recognise that harm. Restorative justice argues against the prevailing views on law and order, which emphasise tougher punishments as a way of deterring crime. Many theorists argue that the traditional punishment-reward systems within school systems do not work and, in some cases, even tend to make the problems worse. They argue that these systems are accepted as inevitable. However, these systems are remnants of an old, autocratic system that is based on the principles of force, power and fear. These systems establish relationships of superiority and inferiority which go against the principles of equality in democratic society. There is an assumption that one person—the teacher—knows what is best, resulting in a lack of respect for the students’ views and needs.
Schools in Canberra are not immune to the issues associated with children and young people and their social development. An example of a new issue facing both Canberra schools and schools Australia wide is the development of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying uses e-technology as a means of victimising others. The intention is to harm others through the use of an internet service, such as instant messaging, web
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