Page 4321 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 13 October 2009
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Suspensions are one important tool, but only one tool. We look forward to the debate over coming months about seriously addressing some of the issues around behaviour in our schools. Suspension is one part of it. We call on the government and the Greens to support our amendments, which will show that we trust principals to deal with this. We believe they are best placed to make some of these important decisions to protect their school communities.
MS BURCH (Brindabella) (11.55): I support the Education Bill 2009. This bill gives principals and school communities more flexibility in relation to suspension. The ACT government’s vision for education is “everyone learns”. The government is proud of the quality of education available to children and young people. We believe that all students and staff have the right to be treated fairly and with dignity and to learn and teach in a safe and positive environment. We support a school environment free from disruption, intimidation and violence.
Our schools have in place policies and programs to ensure that every member of their school community feels safe and every student has the freedom to learn. This commitment to school safety and student learning requires schools to maintain high standards of student behaviour, and for the most part the high standards are maintained in our public schools.
But, unfortunately, there are occasions of dangerous and violent behaviour which threaten the safety of students and staff. Depending on the circumstances, it may be in the best interests of the school community, and the student involved in violent or dangerous behaviour, for that student to be removed from the school for a period of time.
Suspension is one strategy for assisting a student to learn from a serious behaviour incident. It is the mechanism through which a student reflects on their behaviour and thinks about alternative ways of dealing with a situation. Suspension is most effective when it involves parents; when parents and the school work to modify the inappropriate behaviour of the child or young person and assist them to rejoin the school community as quickly as possible.
Suspension allows students time to reflect on their behaviour, time to acknowledge and accept responsibility for the behaviour which led them to the suspension, time to accept responsibility for changing their behaviour to meet the school’s expectations in the future, time for school staff to plan appropriate support for their successful re-entry, and time for schools, where appropriate, to enlist the services of other agencies to support the student to develop a more appropriate response.
The proposed amendment to the Education Act acknowledges that it takes time for coordinated and suitable intervention to take place. It takes time to ensure positive outcomes are achieved for students who have been suspended. Our school leaders know their students well, they know their schools and they are in the best position to act in a way which suits the individual situation at their school. This is a balanced reform.
Suspension is one strategy to keep schools and students safe. There are many other strategies, which are included in our safe schools policies, alternative education
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