Page 2821 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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independent, unbiased review into the original program rolled out by the Safe Schools Coalition. This review found that it was inappropriate for aspects of the program to be taught in schools. Consequently, the Turnbull government implemented recommendations to make schools more inclusive of LGBTIQ students and to maintain that our children are not being exposed to inappropriate or contentious content. This is especially, and most importantly, without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
Let me make it very clear. Just as every parent has the right to be the mentor of their child, every child deserves the right not to be bullied, especially in a school setting. This is not a contentious point. I and my Canberra Liberal colleagues completely support any program that truly stops bullying of any kind perpetrated on anyone. But when it comes to the safe schools program, it can be best described as a lack of leadership by the current government to alleviate many of the concerns that many parents in the community hold. We only need to look at last weekend, at a rally that was attended by many concerned Canberrans on the safe schools program, to see that there is a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding about what the program actually entails and what is being delivered in classrooms. That highlights a lack of leadership by the current minister and the current government to take the community along with them on programs which are considered by many in the community to be highly controversial.
It is very much worth noting again, foreshadowing my amendments to this motion, the position that both the New South Wales and Tasmanian governments have taken with regard to this program in taking the decision to implement a true, tough anti-bullying program in schools. The Tasmanian government has announced that it is investing $3 million over four years as part of a budget initiative that is aimed at providing a truly safe and inclusive school environment which supports students’ learning and wellbeing.
In conclusion, let me get back to the fundamentals. There is no evidence base whatsoever to suggest that the policies and investments made by the Labor-Greens government are translating into results for our students. To obtain a clearer picture, we must do more than just have a conversation. The current education minister’s half a million dollar conversation simply is not going to garner the results that the community expects.
It is possible to get a clearer picture. There is analysis already available from the Education Directorate that compares apples with apples. It compares schools with similar socioeconomic profiles in other jurisdictions to those operating in the territory. This analysis largely informed the Auditor-General’s report, where it was highlighted that the ACT public schools were performing well below comparable schools in other jurisdictions, despite our expenditure being amongst the highest in the country. The minister’s half a million dollar conversation on education, I fear, is tokenistic at best and should comprehensively address all students’ performance in a more meaningful way.
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