Page 3500 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013
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In doing this, the Education and Training directorate is using the ACT government’s community engagement framework. This demonstrates the government’s commitment to high-quality policy development by communicating with the community. A pre-consultation working group has been assembled, consisting of key stakeholders, including the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations, the ACT Gifted and Talented Local Support Group and an independent expert in gifted education, Dr Catherine Wormald from the University of Notre Dame.
To date there have been three workshops to inform the development of a new draft policy. The second phase of the process will be a six-week wider community and stakeholder consultation policy document that will inform the final version of the policy.
This includes an opportunity for the community to express their views via a series of forums and the ACT government’s online time to talk survey portal. One of my goals as minister for school education in the ACT is to put parents and children at the centre. This approach will guide the way we develop and implement the new gifted and talented policy.
This will include better, more accessible documentation and improved communication for parents on how to access programs and support for their gifted and talented children. The policy and support material available will also inform schools of current best practice in meeting the needs of all gifted and talented students. The review will be finalised by the end of this year in readiness for school next year in 2014.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Berry.
MS BERRY: Minister, why is it important that we have a public education system that meets the needs of top performing students?
MS BURCH: Ms Berry, as I have said, gifted and talented students represent about 10 per cent of the school population. If we fail to recognise them or fail to nurture their special talents, we are denying them the right to reach their full potential. Opportunities for gifted and talented students must be available in every classroom and in every school. It is through this that we can truly provide equitable access and ensure that gifted students are catered for wherever they live and attend school.
Gifted and talented students come from a wide range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, students who live in rural and regional areas and students with disabilities are at particular risk of having their abilities overlooked. The ACT government remains committed to gifted and talented education and continues to view it as an area of high importance, along with the provision of high-quality education to develop every child’s potential.
We need to ensure that our school teachers are aware that gifted and talented learners have needs beyond the general curriculum and know what to do to help them develop deeper knowledge and broader understanding and to be exposed to significantly more
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