Page 839 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 25 July 1989
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Minister's interests and steps in the matter of environment - and I guess it is pretty much across all parties - can the Minister inform the Assembly the priority that the Schools Office gives to the teaching of the care of the environment and perhaps indicate the special teaching facilities, curriculum and guidance, and professional development opportunities which are available to schools and teachers to support that priority?
MR WHALAN: I thank Mr Wood. The ACT schools system is one which places a considerable amount of emphasis on environment and the teaching of aspects of the environment in the education process. I have embarked on a program of visits to schools, and in every school, without fail, whether it be a primary or a high school or a secondary college, there is considerable evidence throughout the school and throughout the classrooms of the interest in and concern about the environment. Indeed, there is evidence of quite a sophisticated knowledge about some of the more complex aspects of the environment that confront us today.
The ACT Schools Office provides curriculum frameworks to assist teachers and schools to develop their programs. The environment is a major scene in three separate curriculum frameworks - social education, science and technology. Many schools and colleges also have innovative extracurricular activities, such as the waste watch project in north Belconnen schools, and the Children of the Green Earth Club at Hughes Primary School.
Some schools have developed their own environmental and recycling centres. In addition, both the Birrigai Outdoor School and the Dairy Flat education centre offer special environmental programs - sunship earth and earthkeepers at Birrigai, and environmental farming practice at the Dairy Flat centre. The ACT Schools Office recently formed an environmental education working party to promote environmental awareness and encourage all schools and the office to take an active part in conserving the environment. The Schools Office is also participating in national environmental programs.
Bus Service
MRS NOLAN: My question is directed to the Chief Minister deputising for the Minister for Housing and Urban Services who has announced that in August a trial of automatic ticketing equipment for ACTION buses will commence. What is the cost of the trial? What is the cost of introducing a replacement system for ACTION's existing system?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mrs Nolan for the question, and I will certainly do my best to answer it. The current ACTION ticketing arrangement, of course, as you would know, has the advantage that it is low cost and it lets people board the buses very rapidly, but it does, in many ways, fail to
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