Page 45 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019
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unfortunately not to the satisfaction of those families, as was described in the paper yesterday.
Schools—2019 school year
MS ORR: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, what are some of the highlights of another start to the school year?
MS BERRY: There were 49,000 students who started the year in ACT government schools, across the 88 schools now in the ACT; 80,000 school students across all of our excellent schools in the ACT. These students are supported by more than 3,700 committed, expert teachers who work in government schools, and in non-government schools a further 3,000 teachers are equally dedicated to the many students across those 40 schools. Across all of those schools there are hundreds of support staff who make our school education happen.
This year around 130 new educators joined the government school teaching workforce, and I had the chance to welcome them to our system last week. It is an important opportunity today, on the first day of sittings this year, to acknowledge the work of the people who provide school education. This, for me, is the highlight of the school year, alongside seeing children accessing life-changing learning.
As I have said many times in this place, second only to individual student factors, the most important thing in providing every student with access to a great education and the life changes that this brings are the teachers and school leaders who are facilitating that learning. It is the dedication of teachers to their students that means it is vital that they have a strong advocate for their industrial interests. For them, I acknowledge the Australian Education Union, as well as the Independent Education Union.
The beginning of the 2019 schoolyear has also seen some excellent school learning environments being provided and improved, and I look forward to continuing that work throughout 2019, as the school year continues.
MS ORR: How is the government providing new and upgraded schools to meet the needs of students starting school in 2019?
MS BERRY: The government went into the election with significant commitments to invest in providing new and upgraded schools to meet the needs of students. We are delivering on these commitments. We committed $85 million over four years to upgrade Canberra’s public primary schools, high schools and colleges.
In 2018 twenty-two schools received better disability access, with ramps, toilet refurbishments, handrails, expansion of call rooms and accessibility upgrades as well as quiet rooms. Twenty-nine schools received upgrades to assist special needs students, including sensory gardens, room refurbishments, acoustic works, learning support unit upgrades, calming areas and play equipment upgrades. Fifty-schools underwent improvements such as roof upgrades, new modular and transportable
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