Page 4179 - Week 11 - Thursday, 17 Sept 2009
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So there are a range of methods that are used, but we are taking advantage of new technology such as the SMS messaging system to send a very quick notification to parents that their son or daughter is not attending school.
MR SPEAKER: I call Ms Porter to ask a supplementary question.
MS PORTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question to the minister is: how are parents generally informed about education policy and how is the new SMS messaging system working?
MR SPEAKER: Can you repeat the question, Ms Porter?
MS PORTER: Sorry, did you not hear it?
MR SPEAKER: I wanted to check the relevance of your question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Okay. I believe the question was about school policy and how parents are informed.
MR SPEAKER: Can you just re-read the question?
MS PORTER: Yes, I will. I am happy to do that. How are parents generally informed about school education policy and how is this new SMS system working?
MR BARR: I thank Ms Porter for the question. As I said, the use of SMS technology is part of the $20 million smart schools: smart students project that was rolled out as part of the 2006-07 ACT budget. It was one of the many elements of the major reform to the education system that occurred during that period. In fact, we are reaping many of the benefits of that investment in new technology in a range of areas within our school system, and particularly in relation to being able to advise parents quickly of issues around student attendance, for example.
Also, as Ms Porter has asked, in terms of broader communication with parents, the use of new technologies, such as myclasses and some of the other web-based initiatives that schools have in place now as a result of that significant capital infrastructure investment in ICT technology for schools, has meant that communication between schools and parents is made a lot easier and certainly much more cost effective for schools. It means that information can be quickly communicated to parents around attendance but also around school policies, excursions and those sorts of general day-to-day activities.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Bresnan, a supplementary?
MS BRESNAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Is SMS messaging used in high schools, primary schools and colleges, and where it is not used, how are parents informed?
MR BARR: The rollout of the new technology has been progressive across schools. The focus in the first instance was in colleges and high schools—so in high school
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