Page 86 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS BURCH: We will build a new $7.5 million CIT learning centre at Tuggeranong. It will be a particular focus of mine as education minister to look after our students in need, including those vulnerable students who have a disability or difficulties at home. Labor will also provide $10 million over four years to support students with learning disabilities in mainstream and special schools. We will provide $12 million for more in-class support for teachers and students at risk and invest $14 million in pregnant and parenting students to ensure that they stay engaged in education at the new learning centre, called Canberra College Cares.
There is $1.6 million to continue therapy assistance in schools, and for non-government schools we will be providing over $18 million in needs-based funding over the next four years. Additional funding for non-government schools will be through over $2 million in smart school, smart students grants. These are only some of the commitments to education, but implementing all of them on budget and on time will be my priority.
In doing this, I want to ensure that our education system does not lose sight of what is most important—that is, the job of turning out young citizens who can read, write and understand mathematics. Without these basic foundations, none of the other important things that our schools provide count for much, and it is what the parents focus on. I want to make sure that we have a system that continues to talk to our students and their parents and to listen to what they have to say and to respond.
Through a combination of quality teaching and a focus on good results for all our students, I know that the ACT will continue to maintain its position as the best achieving jurisdiction in Australia.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Can the minister provide some detail on what the literacy and numeracy data reveals?
MS BURCH: The NAPLAN results are critical to understanding how our students are performing in literacy and numeracy. In turn they help our schools to focus on the needs of students. Results from the tests for 2012 show that the ACT continues to be among the highest performing in the country. Indeed the ACT’s mean scores were the highest or equal highest in the nation in 16 out of the 20 areas tested.
The ACT consistently has a high proportion of students achieving at or above the national minimum standard in NAPLAN testing. That is the case nationally. This has been the case since NAPLAN testing began. The ACT has ranked first or equal first nationally in reading across all years since 2008. In grammar we have ranked first or equal first in years 5, 7 and 9. We have seen a real improvement in reading, writing and grammar and punctuation for students in years 3 and 5 since 2008. In year 5 we have seen an improvement in the results for numeracy.
The ACT has continued to achieve excellent results in grammar and punctuation across all year levels, ranking the highest or equal highest in Australia. And the good
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video