Page 3461 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 September 1990
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The question of literacy and numeracy aptitudes in our community is an ongoing one. It is a matter of some community debate, more so at the present time because this is International Year of Literacy. The Government will be releasing, probably at the end of this week, its green paper on literacy and numeracy in ACT schools, and I will be very much looking forward to the response from the community to the particular suggestions made in that paper.
It is impossible, I think, to say whether one is more important than the other to the extent that when one tests one establishes, if there is any doubt, what the need for remedial action is. Of course, ultimately, it is the taking of that remedial action, the spending of resources on producing particular results, or improving particular results, that really is the best way of spending money. But I would not support the idea of spending that money to improve literacy and numeracy levels unless we are satisfied that it is a serious problem in the ACT school community and that we ought to be putting resources into that as opposed to other things of some importance educationally.
MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. The Minister, I am sure, would agree that improving literacy and numeracy is always important. It is not a matter of looking at remedial measures; it is a matter of overall improvement. In the interests of maintaining the growth in numeracy skills in the ACT, would he like to justify the closure of the maths centre which, over and above most other things, has been of enormous benefit in improving numeracy in the ACT?
MR SPEAKER: Order! I do not believe that is a supplementary question.
MR WOOD: It is a supplementary question. Of course it is.
MR SPEAKER: It is not a supplementary question. I call Ms Maher.
Mr Wood: What a lot of rot! Well, that has changed my attitude in this Assembly, I can tell you.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Wood, I warn you.
Australian Fisheries Council
MS MAHER: My question is to the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. Mr Wood yesterday raised the question of membership of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and the Australian Fisheries Council. Can the Minister say whether the Government has accepted membership of the SCF and the AFC?
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