Page 2873 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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recommended that the government undertake an audit of all demountables to assess whether their continued use is best practice and the best, most cost-efficient solution to changing enrolment demands. The government’s response to that was also a predictable non-committal “noted”. Clearly, the use of demountables will remain an ongoing part of the enrolment pressure dilemma.
A recommendation that the government develop more accurate assessment tools to determine future enrolments elicited the response that the ACT government undertakes enrolment projection modelling and that modelling is regularly updated. Yes, but given the apparent surprises in enrolment pressures at so many schools and the declining enrolments at others, perhaps—just perhaps—the current tools are not effective. Perhaps—just perhaps—the government can take on board the recommendation from the committee to at least realise that perhaps—just perhaps—there could be other ways.
I also highlight that the committee’s recommendation to conduct an audit of existing government preschool and primary school accommodation to determine future capacity was only agreed to in principle. The use of demountables and increased adherence to limited priority enrolment areas are two levers being used to direct students to schools which cannot be considered best practice in education delivery. The recent example of Molly Browne, who requires a special needs setting, is just one such example of the rigid policy solution being forced on parents due to a lack of planning and flexibility by successive Labor governments.
In examining issues like overcrowding in schools, what efforts are being made to understand why some schools are popular while others are not? And if work is not being done on such things, how do we know what the future demand might be for teachers in particular subjects or particular sectors?
The estimates committee discussed the ever-present and growing dilemma of mental health in our schools and how our teachers, school communities and the wider education sector deal with students with challenging needs and complex behaviours.
The committee heard from officials that the ACT is experiencing an increase in demand for mental health and psychology services—and, we heard, in the general health sense as well. There is increasing evidence of younger students requiring support. This has been confirmed to me when I have visited non-government and government schools, and I have no doubt that the issues are apparent in both sectors. Some non-government school principals have expressed frustration that there is too often a segmented, silo approach to mental health issues when a whole-of-government, whole-of-agency approach to dealing with troubled young people would have a much better impact and much better outcomes.
The Shaddock report in 2015 highlighted a range of issues. The education minister at the time, Ms Burch, was quick to adopt, or adopt in principle, each of the recommendations, including the recommendation on the appointment of school psychologists. It is disappointing—more than disappointing—that after three years, only five have been appointed and the full 20 will not be engaged until 2021.
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