Page 3675 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 28 October 2014
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MR DOSZPOT: Minister, are the additional attendance record-keeping procedures that you introduced for all teachers part of the “bits and pieces” of teacher workload?
MS BURCH: Attendance records are part of being employed by the public service. It is around maintaining accountability and records of when you are at work and when are not.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, what are the benefits of teacher professional development and do they constitute the “bits and pieces” of a teacher’s workload?
MS BURCH: Professional development is critically important to teachers, whether they attend mentoring sessions within the school environment with their colleagues or whether they attend external professional development activities. It is all linked to the professional standards of teachers that were introduced into the ACT a number of years ago.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Could the minister tell us more about the work of the TQI in relation to continuing professional development for teachers?
MS BURCH: The TQI, or Teacher Quality Institute, has certainly been established here not only as a regulator for registering teachers but also to support teachers in maintaining their professional standards. That includes ongoing professional development. There is a requirement of teacher registration to have a number of hours of professional development, 20 hours a year, and the TQI is certainly at the forefront of coordinating and maintaining those opportunities. I would encourage all teachers, and indeed members here that have an interest in professional development, to go to TQI’s website and look at the depth and breadth of opportunities for our teachers.
Housing—finance
MR SMYTH: My question is for the Treasurer. Treasurer, CommSec’s recent State of the states economic report noted that the ACT ranks fourth in the nation for housing finance on decade-average measures, and construction is down. Treasurer, what impact has the government’s massive increase to lease variation charges had on these figures, and what are the projections for the future impact of the LVC on housing finance and construction in the territory?
Dr Bourke: Point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Dr Bourke?
DR BOURKE: Yes, Madam Speaker. My point of order is that the standing orders refer to “a question”, not two questions. Mr Smyth has asked two questions.
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