Page 3279 - Week 10 - Thursday, 25 September 2014
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The ACT Greens are committed to closing the gap in academic achievement associated with students’ socioeconomic status and cultural background. We would like to see improved educational and training outcomes for young people with a disability or a learning difficulty by expanding and diversifying alternative settings and programs within schools for students with complex learning needs or experiencing barriers to mainstream education.
We want a vibrant and properly funded public education system that attains world-class standards of excellence and is built on an innovative curriculum, and we want government and non-government education funding to be based on a formula that allows equity of educational outcomes, and is allocated in a transparent and accountable manner.
I think the ACT Greens have our education priorities right, and I know that this is clear to see in our parliamentary agreement with Labor. Many of the government education priorities we share with Labor are already reflected in policy and process. While there is always a need to adjust and review progress, I think that on the whole we are getting our priorities right.
One of the hardest things to do in government, though, is to respond to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The federal government’s complete and utter disregard for the Gonski review, the clear need for greater clarity and certainty for schools funding, was a particularly outrageous piece of misfortune for Australian education. But respond governments must, to ensure that changes in funding sources do not adversely affect our aspirations of a world-class and inclusive education system right here in the territory.
On this level, again, I believe the government is getting the balance right. We know in this place that ACT students are getting a great education and that academically we are performing extremely well in comparison with other jurisdictions. We are seeing an increased confidence in our public schools as a place of safe and positive learning environments, with enrolments increasing each year. We are lucky enough to have a strong and collaborative relationship with the Catholic and independent school sector, and a shared vision of excellence and inclusiveness.
Are there areas for improvement? Well, undoubtedly there are. The ACT Greens would like to ensure we are continuing to address the findings and information gained from the 2010 inquiry into the educational achievement gap in the ACT, which looked at social and economic issues, amongst others. We want to see students with English as a second language getting the support they need to excel in mainstream classes and for students at risk of disengaging from education being helped and encouraged.
Moreover, we want schools funding to be based on need, something that I think we have been very clear about for some time. I think is about stepping beyond some of the old divides and ensuring that students simply get what they need and that we do get that true equity of educational outcomes.
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