Page 1381 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
In the ACT there are a number of ways in which young people can have their say on issues that are important to them on an ongoing basis. The Youth Advisory Council provides the Minister for Children and Young People with advice on issues relating to young people in the ACT. Its 15 members are aged between 12 and 25 years and are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds that represent our broader community, including gender balance, disabilities and representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The Youth Advisory Council not only provides the minister with valuable advice related to young people but also supports the development of young people as leaders. The council is a means through which young people can learn about areas such as community leadership, policy development and working with government. The current Youth Advisory Council has participated in a range of events during National Youth Week and is preparing a work plan to guide its activities for the remainder of the year. Their three priority areas are gender and sexuality, youth homelessness, and drugs and alcohol.
The ACT government provides a number of grants and scholarship opportunities for young people. The ACT government established the Audrey Fagan young women’s enrichment grants program in memory of the ACT’s first female chief of police. Ms Fagan was a strong supporter of women in leadership roles and also a generous mentor to young women. The enrichment grants aim to inspire young women to enhance their skills and knowledge within their areas of interest. These grants of up to $2,000 support young women to attend further education, compete in sporting events, attend science forums and more.
The Youth InterACT grants provide young people aged 12 to 25 years of age with funding of up to $1,500 to organise projects, events, activities and programs that benefit other young people in the ACT. Youth InterACT also provides small scholarships of up to $500 for individual young people aged 12 to 25 to attend courses and events. The Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards are now in their 25th year, and they recognise the achievements of young people aged between 12 and 25 years. Recently the Youth Coalition of the ACT hosted the Just Sayin’ forum at the Legislative Assembly, where the Minister for Community Services, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children and Young People listened directly to a number of young people talk about what is important to them.
Our youth need not just a caring and supporting environment but wise mentoring and quality education. This government’s commitment to education is reflected in our investment in our school system and the great results our students regularly achieve when measured in NAPLAN, PISA scores, maths and science literacy or other markers. We have over 130 schools in the ACT, providing a wide range of choice between government and non-government sectors. We also provide quality support services for special needs students, the most advanced students and those incorporating vocational education into their school program.
Our commitment to developing the professional skills of our teachers is evident in the expansion of the Teacher Quality Institute and our support for teachers’ professional
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video