Page 1620 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 May 1990
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As part of this community involvement in education I would like to commend to this house a program that has been trialled in high schools here in the ACT as well as interstate. I refer to the Christian option program. I believe it to be desirable that the young people of Canberra should have the opportunity to learn about the central aspect of human history. Christian option aims to contribute to the development of students' beliefs and values by assisting them to understand Christian perspectives as part of the study of further religions. (Extension of time granted)
While compulsory religious education is inappropriate in our state schools, the fact that a large proportion of our young people are growing up with little understanding of ethics, value systems and traditional beliefs should make us stop and think. This is one way in which the members of the community can make an important contribution to the development of the youth of Canberra.
Mr Berry: That is rubbish!
MR JENSEN: Mr Berry says it is rubbish. Well, that is very interesting. I am sure that there are a lot of people out there in the community who think the exact opposite - that the sorts of comments that I have just made about the need for the development of ethics, value systems and traditional beliefs should be part of the total, overall education of our children.
Government decision making is all about balancing - balancing budgets, balancing competing requirements from different groups, be they preschools or colleges, children with special needs or those with special gifts, or balancing the legitimate concerns of parents and teachers with the necessity to run a tight ship.
Mr Speaker, I think that in the future, as this Government's education development progresses in the ACT, we will find that those sorts of arguments and assessments will be clearly put to the people of the ACT and that the people of the ACT will accept the strong commitment on the part of the Alliance Government to the education of the children of the ACT, who are the future of the ACT as well as the future of Australia.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Nolan) adjourned.
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND CORPORATISATION OF HOSPITAL SERVICES SUPPLY CENTRE
Ministerial Statement
Debate resumed from 27 March 1990, on motion by Mr Humphries:
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