Page 1577 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 8 May 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how are school leaders, teachers and support staff being engaged?
MS BERRY: Through this conversation, I was keen to make sure that teaching staff, in particular, and the learning professionals get the time to take some time out to reflect on their work and consider what is working in their profession and what could be changed to make it even better. Ultimately, this is the most important factor in student outcomes, after background and circumstances of the student: the professionals responsible for taking students on their learning journey.
Soon I will release a dedicated discussion paper for the workforce supporting school education in the ACT. This discussion paper will be accompanied by a survey for teaching professionals so that we can identify some of the ways they can improve their own profession and their place within the teaching profession. The discussion paper and survey ask learning professionals to challenge themselves and make a contribution about things beyond just resources in the classroom. Issues around training, professional learning and leadership, as well as measuring performance, are all relevant. I look forward to hearing what the people working with the students have to say.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, has the recently released Gonski report provided any insights for the future of education work?
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Cheyne for her supplementary. As members will know, last week the federal government released Mr David Gonski’s report Through growth to achievement: report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools. I welcome this report and thank Mr Gonski and the review panel for their work. It was a privilege to be able to be part of that conversation during the two times that I got to be part of an interview with Mr Gonski and his team.
The report aligns well with what the ACT government’s future of education conversation is finding. It clearly confirms many of the themes that are coming out through the conversation and also our work towards an early childhood strategy. I am grateful that Mr Gonski took the opportunity to reinforce the vital importance of equitable early childhood education and care. That work was also backed up in the Lifting our game report. We were also able to get a really great report from the editors of that report during our conversation last week at the ministers’ Education Council.
I was also encouraged to see Mr Gonski’s acknowledgement of teachers as expert professionals. Finally, Mr Gonski’s report supports the ACT’s national leadership in seeking a review of NAPLAN assessment and reporting. It is good to see that the country is warming up to this idea. The report is important confirmation that the ACT government’s future of education work is definitely on the right track.
Calvary hospital—alleged bullying
MR PARTON: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. On 15 April this year the media reported on bullying at Calvary hospital. It cited cases of bullying
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video