Page 2828 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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but I do not agree with the way some of it has been framed. I am happy to have some of these individual discussions at a different time, and no doubt we will, because they are significant issues in the education sector. But we do believe that the framing of Ms Orr’s motion is more consistent with the way the Greens view the education debate, and we will be pleased to support the motion today.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee) (5.04): I rise to speak in support of Ms Orr’s motion. The ACT Labor government went to the last election with a positive plan to renew our schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure and neighbourhoods. In the budget in June we funded classroom and facility upgrades across the territory, as well as building new schools for our growing suburbs. Labor’s priorities are and always will be health and education, and this is reflected in the budget itself and in the private member’s motion brought before the Assembly today.
Before being elected to the Assembly, my background was in the education sector. I know that education is a driver of Canberra’s future prosperity, and this government continues to focus on this critical area. In June I was privileged to visit my former school, Melrose high, where the announcement of $85 million in capital investments for public schools across Canberra was made. This will make a huge difference to ensuring that our public school environments reflect the quality of teaching and outcomes that they produce. When I was at high school I remember well how difficult it was to concentrate during the hotter days of the summer months on the top floor of the ageing school building, and these upgrades will provide heating and cooling at Melrose high and other schools.
Other investments include improved energy efficiency in our schools and, in addition, the funding will revitalise learning spaces, new toilets and improvements to school garden facilities. Stromlo high, in my electorate, will also benefit from this investment, with a new roof, which will improve protection from the elements and the look of the school building. I was actually out there recently, where the work was well underway. Garran primary, Malkara school and other schools across Murrumbidgee will also benefit from this capital funding. Malkara and Garran will benefit from upgrades to the front office and the school administration area. In June I had the pleasure of attending Malkara with Minister Berry and Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Malkara is a school which solely services students with a disability. While I was there I saw some classes in session and was able to meet some of the students and staff. It was great to see that this school and other schools like it will be benefiting from the ACT government’s decision to deliver and invest $3 million in additional funding to support students with a disability so that every child has the opportunity to succeed.
It is Science Week, and we know that science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or the STEM subjects, power our economy and advance our city, building our shared prosperity. That is why it is critical that we activate STEM learning in our schools and spark interest in these subjects, by letting children and young people experiment with STEM ideas in hands-on, real-world situations. Delivering a better STEM education in the ACT is a matter of preparation and planning, and this budget will ensure that we have the STEM teachers to power the future of science, technology, engineering and maths in our classrooms.
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