Page 1203 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2016
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So who is right and who is wrong? Why were we apparently in no difficulties in September 2014 but only 17 months later we are facing a potential capacity crisis in our schools? Parents need answers and so should the Assembly be told what the real story is. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Corrections, Minister for Education, Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Road Safety) (3.58): I welcome the opportunity brought forward by Mr Doszpot to discuss these issues this afternoon so that we can dispel some myths but also agree that Canberra public school enrolments are being managed to ensure that parents and carers across Canberra maintain certainty for their children’s future schooling needs. I will try to deal with the issues Mr Doszpot has raised as succinctly as I can, and to do so I will focus on the present and the future, which is what I believe is relevant to the debate and what will answer any genuine concerns of the Assembly and, through it, of the broader community.
I start by asking members to note the amendment to Mr Doszpot’s motion now circulating in my name. I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “notes”, substitute:
“(a) the recent publication of public school enrolment projections for 2016 show increasing enrolments in ACT public schools and identify areas that may be experiencing pressure;
(b) the robust processes that exist to support the Education Directorate projections that include undertaking annual one and five year student enrolment projections for each ACT public school, and routinely comparing projected enrolments to actual enrolments as the Directorate’s census data is released;
(c) the need for population projections and demography to be regularly updated to support normal anticipated and unanticipated fluctuations such as found in birth rates, population movements and choice of school system;
(d) the commitment of the ACT Government to provide the best possible education to every child and young person living in the ACT; and
(e) all public schools’ ability to accommodate students living within each school’s priority enrolment area; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) make public the Directorate’s enrolment projections for each school for 2017 and 2018 by the last sitting day of June 2016; and
(b) outline to the Assembly by the last sitting day of June 2016, how ACT public school enrolments are being managed to ensure that parents and carers across Canberra maintain certainty for their children’s future schooling needs.”.
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