Page 5851 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 7 December 2011
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However, it is clear that with increasing numbers of students with ESL support needs and an anticipated increase in overall student enrolment numbers in ACT public schools, more needs to be done. The minister needs to identify strategic and sensible ways to better resource and empower the hardworking teachers on the ground with what is obviously a rewarding job but a job that can sometimes be a difficult and isolating one.
The Greens are committed to ensuring that the government provide free, high quality education to all children and young people in the territory, regardless of their background. We stand for an end to the gap in academic achievement associated with students’ socioeconomic status and a public education system that encourages and supports the efforts of all students to reach their potential. We support implementing education system planning, resourcing and decision making that respects the views of school communities and other stakeholders.
We believe that on the issue of language performance rating and English-speaking competency, better consultation, planning and resourcing to respect the views of the stakeholders are needed to deliver better access to those children and young people. A review of the language performance rating and the apparent cut-off of some supports to students who are assessed as well below and below average would be a timely way and a necessary way that we have to go.
We need to listen to the concerns of many stakeholders. I suspect that this will lead to the need for greater resources and also for greater opportunities for teachers to be able to deliver ESL support to students. As I have outlined, that is what my amendment is about. It is about looking at where we need to focus our attention around improving the access for those students—those children and young people—in our system today.
As we have heard, they are only able to get those supports until a grading of two. That is still below average in English proficiency. That is where we need to be putting our focus. That is where we need to be putting our efforts—out there on the front line for those children and those young people. That is what this is about. It is calling for a review of that rating, to be looking at why it is that those supports cut off at such a low level, with a view to raising the required level of English proficiency. Of course, I would suspect that that will mean that we will need to be looking at how we are going to properly resource that, and that will be through greater teacher hours on the ground.
Of course, along with that, hand in hand with that, goes these sorts of professional development needs and the support services that that workforce is going to have to have in order to follow this along.
Mr Doszpot: And that you are cutting out by your motion.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Mr Doszpot, thanks.
MS HUNTER: Mr Doszpot is intent upon just yelling out interjections across the chamber and I think—
Mr Doszpot: Correcting what you are saying.
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