Page 1448 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011

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That Mr Hanson’s motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

Students with disabilities—after-school care

MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (3:23): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) that according to the August 2010 Department of Education and Training School Census, the number of students with special needs in public education is 1 995, an increase of 134 from 2006 and 503 of these students are enrolled in high schools or colleges;

(b) that there are 364 enrolments at special schools, 184 of these across the secondary age units at Black Mountain and The Woden School;

(c) that currently there are 17 after school care places for children over 12 years of age with a disability in North Canberra, seven of these are restricted to those in wheelchairs, and 16 places in South Canberra;

(d) that currently there are a number of teenage children with a high needs disability who are being cared for by mainstream after school programs for primary school aged children, and others are being transported from a northside school to southside after school care;

(e) that after school care is essential for working parents; and

(f) that after school care for teens with a disability can be an important place for social interaction with peers and provide essential life skills in their transition from a school environment; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) discontinue the proposed business case for after school care for young people aged over 12 with a disability;

(b) replace the business case with an assessment to determine best practice and service delivery models;

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