Page 234 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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(2) calls on the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure to:
(a) examine whether the protocols in place around the permissions for MLAs to visit or attend school events constitute an impediment to the Members performing their function as MLAs and in complying with the Code of Conduct for all Members of the Legislative Assembly; and
(b) report back to the ACT Legislative Assembly on these protocols by the last sitting day in May 2019.
We have 88 government schools in the ACT, with a student enrolment of roughly 48,000 and over 5,000 teachers and support staff. The Education Directorate has a budget of $5 billion over four years and our second largest expenditure after health. A significant number of all our constituents in every one of our electorates has a connection with a school—as a parent, grandparent, teacher, volunteer, ancillary worker or even as alumni.
On that basis alone it is more than unreasonable that MLAs, at least on this side of the chamber, have had considerable difficulty in gaining access to events, visits and information gathering at our 88 government schools. I say “at least on this side of the chamber” because, other than a recent incident between two members of the Labor Party, I am not certain whether Labor MLAs have had much more luck than us in being granted a golden pass for a school visit.
As shadow education minister I am frequently and regularly invited to attend non-government schools—to the opening of a new building, to learn about plans for growth, to attend a concert or an awards ceremony, or simply to become more familiar with a particular school. Since taking on this portfolio I have submitted requests for school visits, as is the practice, to the education minister’s office, and on many occasions the school I have asked to visit is not the one that I am offered. Anecdotally, the minister’s office have said that they believe there are schools they want to highlight. The obvious corollary to that must be that there are schools they are not keen for us to see.
For my own part, I have never sought to make political publicity out of any school visit. I have never, and I am not aware of any Liberal MLA who has, sought to introduce political material into any school, whether government or non-government, at any time. I have followed every single direction given by the ministers and the directorate about these visits, including being accompanied by at least one directorate staff member at all times, not taking any photographs, and taking the directions so seriously that I have not even followed up with so much as a thankyou card or sent any government school principals and their teachers a “happy World Teachers’ Day” card. It does make for some very awkward conversations when principals and teachers welcome me so warmly and ask me to visit at any time and I have to explain that we are not allowed to.
As my motion says, government school visits by MLAs serve a valuable purpose in increasing an MLA’s knowledge of the ACT school system and developing an appreciation of the talent and enthusiasm of students and teachers in ACT schools. Any restrictions, whether or not intended to thwart the ability to increase knowledge
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