Page 4696 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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for them to reach their potential, whether that be in a mainstream school setting, an alternative education program, some sort of vocational program or, indeed, out there in the workforce. Really, the devil is in the detail with these sorts of new schemes and reforms. We will be closely watching how this rolls out, and we will be seeking further information and briefings from the Department of Education and Training.
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (10.57): I am pleased to be able to speak in support of this bill which enshrines in legislation the principle that every child matters. Every young person is valued and valuable. As the minister has already outlined, this bill provides for changes that will enhance educational opportunities for every student in the ACT. It provides for a flexible framework to support young people’s experience in schooling and their transition into further work and study.
This government is committed to providing additional support for young people and to tailoring the delivery of services to maximise youth engagement in education, their retention and their level of attainment. In response to strong community support, the government intends to make it compulsory for young people to be either at school, in training or at work until the age of 17. That is, they are to be earning or learning so that they have better life choices as they progress through their life.
This government acknowledges that going on to year 12 or to university is not what every young person will choose, nor is it necessarily what will provide them with the best opportunity. However, the ACT government wants to ensure that every young Canberran is studying, training or working after year 10 in a way that suits their needs, their abilities and their plans for the future.
In addition, this ACT government is also committed to increasing the number of students going on to year 12. Already the ACT provides alternative settings for young people who are at risk of dropping out of education and training. There are many successful alternative programs that support students to learn and to develop in ways that respond to their diverse backgrounds, learning styles and individual needs and that help them complete school or vocational qualifications. Some of these programs operate through partnerships between schools and government and non-government agencies.
I am very proud to have been the person that introduced one of these programs through Volunteering ACT many years ago called SPICE, which stands for students participating in community enterprises. The SPICE program engages young people from years 7 to 10 who are at risk and has proven to be a highly successful program.
In addition to the government initiatives outlined by other members, the government already provides a variety of additional support programs to assist education providers and families in meeting the needs of young people. Recent policy decisions by all levels of government have seen the profile of vocational education and career education rising in the community.
In ACT schools, vocational learning encompasses Australian school-based apprenticeship work experience, vocational education and training in schools, including structured workplace learning, enterprise education, career education and
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