Page 3799 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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Letter to the Clerk from the Manager of Government Business, dated 5 September 2018
Remonstrance
MADAM SPEAKER: For the interest of members, the remonstrance motion that was passed in our last sitting has been presented to the Senate President and has been tabled in the Senate and also yesterday tabled in the House of Representatives.
Music education—funding
Debate resumed.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.18): At the luncheon suspension, Mr Ramsay had spoken on this motion. In his opening comments he made a number of acerbic comments about where the opposition had been, because this issue had been raised in February. To be absolutely precise, it is the case that I did take my eye off the ball on this one. As the shadow minister for arts, I did draft a question which Mr Wall asked on 5 February. But, unlike what Mr Ramsay said before we adjourned for lunch, the question was not about the college music program; it was about the music engagement program. In passing, Mr Ramsay mentioned in response to Mr Wall’s supplementary question that the funding for the college access program would be phased out, completing in 2019.
I realised when this issue arose more recently that I had known that but it was something that I had taken my eye off the ball over. For that, I apologise to members. I should have been more alert to it but, as I have pointed out in this place on a number of occasions, I have three part-time staff—unlike ministers, who have more than three part-time staff—and I have responsibility for oversight of the 7,000-odd staff in ACT Health. I do take my responsibilities as shadow minister for arts seriously but on this occasion I overlooked this issue until it was raised with me more recently.
There are two elements to the H music courses. They are intended for students with advanced music skills in the classical and jazz genres. Admission to the course is through audition and interview. The students who gain entrance to this H course are interested in extending their current musical education in conjunction with their college and are seriously considering pursuing music at a tertiary level. They will be proficient in their chosen instrument and already have a strong theoretical understanding of music. Completion of this course contributes to their ATAR score.
These courses enable students to comprehend and value the diverse cultural, social and historical contexts of music; develop their knowledge of musical concepts and styles, of the performance and written conventions of music, and of the social skills for effective interaction and communication in groups; become analytical, critical and creative thinkers; and express insight and feelings through composition, performance, and appraisal.
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