Page 4315 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
their lives requiring a coordinated multiservice response. Schools are a vital partner in turnaround. Each young person in the program identifies the people and the agencies that are important to be members of their support team. Regular case conferences are held between the young person and their support team to identify goals and case plans and also to address any problems facing the young person.
The third program I would like to mention is the integrated family support program. This program is coordinated by the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services. It aims to improve service response for children up to eight years of age who have complex issues in their lives requiring a multiservice response.
Not all children and young people who access these services will be suspended from school, obviously. As I said, in most cases, there are many strategies that can be employed prior to a decision to suspend, such as restorative justice and the practice of that in our schools. However, it is important when students are suspended and have specific and complex needs that the school has a range of services on which it can call.
The purpose of this bill is to give principals the time and flexibility to manage each suspension in a way that takes into account the individual circumstances of each suspension and the students involved. Importantly, suspensions will continue to be monitored by the central office of the Department of Education and Training, and the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice will continue to be applied. It will mean schools, when appropriate and essential, can give longer periods of suspension without unnecessary and time-consuming processes that could distract from what the school and other agencies and parents are trying to achieve.
As I said before, most young people go to school and are happy in their schooling and content to learn, but there are some circumstances, particularly when the family itself is undergoing complex difficulties, in which students will not be enjoying school and, because of the behaviour that they demonstrate at that time, it is necessary for us to take stock and to reach out to those young people and to their families. We need time in order to be able to do that, and that is what this bill will achieve.
I commend this bill to the Assembly. The passage of this bill will ensure a more effective process for our schools and, importantly, timely support for students.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (11.36): The Greens understand that the government’s aim in making this amendment is to bring the ACT into line with other jurisdictions and is part of the ACT government’s election commitment to better support teachers and schools by developing an option for tougher suspensions for longer periods for misbehaving students. However, the arguments made by the minister in his presentation speech lack the substance that is required to present a comprehensive view of the possible effects of this legislative change.
The ACT Greens are concerned that the needs of both the students suspended for an extended time and the students remaining at the school are adequately addressed. Suspension is a significant issue and we understand that on some occasions it is necessary to ensure a safe teaching and learning environment is maintained for all
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .