Page 4110 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 23 October 2018
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leaders. Unlike the federal Liberals, the ACT government is willing to put its money where its mouth is. For those who paid attention to the budget, you will recall that it included $9.2 million over four years to make an immediate start on providing the best possible teaching in every classroom, every day, as well as enabling continued development of longer-term strategic reforms.
The government is investing in teacher capability in literacy and numeracy and building better links with the University of Canberra, where, like my mother, many ACT teachers gain their initial and post-graduate qualifications. This university partnership will also provide teachers with opportunities for professional learning through research collaboration and growing the University of Canberra as a centre for excellence in teaching.
Investing in teacher and school leaders with expert coaching and mentoring is also a priority. The ACT government is implementing a new teacher mentor program where school leaders will be provided with better training in mentoring and supporting teachers who are beginning their careers in one of the ACT’s public schools.
These are just some of the initiatives that show that the ACT Labor government is valuing and respecting ACT teachers in the way we run the education directorate. When we make the professionalism of teachers one of the first principles of education policy, we can both nurture their skills and deliver better outcomes for our kids. We need to both support the professional development of teachers so they can make the right decision in educating our children and also get out of the way and let them make those decisions.
As I briefly touched on, my mother was a teacher in the ACT public school system for some 35-plus years. She has had the great privilege of holding her head up high and taking the skills that she developed here in the ACT to other states in Australia. Although she has retired from teaching in the ACT, the teaching bug has not left her. She is now looking to continue that career in Queensland. Far be it from me to stop her. I think she is mad. I really have no idea how teachers do it every day. They are the most incredible people, but good on them. It is teachers like my mum and the teachers that Minister Berry has talked about supporting that make our ACT education system fabulous.
As a product of the ACT education system and as a product of the ACT, I am proud to stand here today to congratulate Minister Berry on doing exactly what I have set out here; that is, letting teachers make decisions about how to engage with our children so that they get better learning outcomes. I am always proud to be part of a government that is delivering on helping teachers to better support students and better support their professional outcomes so that we end up with a wonderful education system; I do not know how you can improve on a wonderful education system, but there is always room for improvement.
Again, I am very proud to stand here having yet again drawn another MPI. The importance of valuing and supporting ACT teachers is a very important matter of public interest.
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