Page 84 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Canberra is a world-class city. Although there are many things the Chief Minister and this government have done that I do not agree with, I do acknowledge that he has improved, and he is working hard to improve, our tourism and connectivity to the world. The Canberra Liberals, however, believe that more can be done. This is why Mr Coe will be leading a delegation to China in a few weeks to strengthen our connections with Beijing, the sister city established by the Carnell Liberal government.
This is also why I feel so strongly about language education here in the ACT. Multiculturalism is not just about sharing food, dancing and national costumes. It is about understanding an entire culture and people, and language is a fundamental aspect of making sure that we gear our city and our children toward a more connected global community.
As Canberra becomes more closely linked to the rest of the world, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children are equipped with the skills they need to become truly global citizens. A strong foundation in language education is one of the fundamental ways that we can achieve this. The Canberra Liberals believe that we should be providing a world-class system of language education in Canberra schools. To do this, we need to take the learning of languages in schools seriously. We need to work with our diverse community to ensure that we have our priorities and focus in the right place.
We need an education minister who respects and values the learning of languages in schools, not as an afterthought only in response to a motion that points out the glaring omission in her future of education strategy and calls on her government to bring forward a plan for language education. It is not good enough that under the leadership of this minister and under the current ACT education system you start learning Italian at primary school, but cannot continue it in high school, only to try to pick it up again in college—that is, of course, if you have not found interests elsewhere.
It is not good enough that under the leadership of this minister and under the current ACT education system, Korean, which happens to be my mother tongue, is only available in one year group at one primary school in one priority enrolment area. For anyone else interested in Korean, you cannot take it up unless you are in college.
In a motion that I moved last year, I called on the government to establish a strong plan for language education in ACT schools. I hope that the minister has taken the call seriously, because our future generation deserves a world-class education system that will prepare them for a global multicultural future. Children who learn a second language, especially from early childhood, not only learn skills that help with other aspects of their education; it is also a way of opening up the world. It is a way of opening up a whole new culture. It is a different way of thinking, and it is a different way of being.
In a city as multicultural as Canberra, in a city that is the home to hundreds of different cultures and languages, it just makes sense that we have a world-class system of language education. Madam Deputy Speaker, where this government has clearly failed in achieving this for our children, a Canberra Liberals government will
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video