Page 210 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 December 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Aligned with a focus on broadening horizons is my priority to improve our education system, together with each school and community. ACT Labor has committed to a major policy consultation and development process, and I will make announcements on our plans for this early in the new year. As I have spoken to our school leaders, I have been really encouraged by their enthusiasm for this process. And recent national and international test results show that on some measures, while our schools remain at the top nationally, we can push forward again as one of the world’s best school systems.
I have already had the opportunity to visit some of our great schools, and through this process I will visit many more. This will give me the opportunity to ensure that in developing our future education strategy, we are hearing firsthand about what is important to our students, teachers, parents and the broader school community. This process will lead improvements in our education system, with reforms owned by school leaders, teachers, students, parents, unions and administrators alike. Again, this agenda lines up with the key commitments I will deliver as education minister: record school facility funding of $100 million; new opportunities for excellence in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects; and ongoing support for teacher development.
Another key priority for me is that we continue to support our community’s embrace of true gender equity. More and more, in different parts of the community, people are seeing the value of women and girls in being seen, treated and promoted as equals. We are, after all, the first Australian parliament with a majority of women, something I am pleased and proud to be a part of.
We have made some important progress and have seen the benefits that flow from that work, but there is still much more to do to forge a truly equal Canberra. Canberra is a small, educated and progressive city. We have the opportunity to show the nation that as a community, we can embrace our women, our girls, and our trans and intersex members as true equals, whether in our laws, our workplaces, our homes or on our sporting fields.
The government’s new women’s plan lays out a blueprint for much of this change to occur, and our response to domestic and family violence is tackling one of the greatest points of inequality. Maintaining the momentum in these areas remains a key goal for me because true equity takes sustained campaigns that work on behaviour change and lead by example.
Our priority will be to enhance the economic status, social inclusion, safety, health and wellbeing of ACT women, and we will work to improve the outcomes for those who experience discrimination.
Many will know that I have pursued gender equity in sport and recreation as a central part of this agenda. Just last week there was national agreement to the importance of this goal. And there is clear endorsement of the far-reaching commitments which we will deliver in this term of government: greater gender equity in the funding of elite sporting teams; infrastructure improvements for women and girls in community sport;
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video