Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2408 ..
MS TUCKER
(continuing):In the context of the Connors report, the ongoing work on tools to assess the individual needs of students with disability in all systems, and so establish some funding equity in that area at least, has a particular significance. I stress "in all systems". I am interested to know whether Mr Pratt would be supportive of this. I'm sure he would, but it would be interesting to know what his position is on this. Unfortunately he's not listening to me. At least he's not interjecting if he's not listening.
Mr Pratt
: I am listening.MS TUCKER
: But I think it's really important that we have, with the non-government schools calling for-no, he's listening; there you go-disability funding that they do use the same tools assessment model. Mr Pratt, I was just wondering whether you supported that, that we do have the same assessment model to determine the needs of people with disability. Not so vocal on that one, okay.While the major issues of funding relativities are yet to be addressed, requirements for improved accountability and financial reporting for non-government schools are also welcome.
The issue of an ageing workforce is still unresolved. If we are to attract new teachers and hold onto good existing staff, we need a school system that does provide release of curriculum development; that does provide opportunities for staff to try new ideas; that does reward creativity and initiative; and that will allow ideas to percolate through the system. Lyndsay Connors did not address these issues in her report, but it is probably necessary that someone do so now.
Moving into youth and family services: the initiative for strengthening statutory response to children and young people at risk of abuse and neglect is overdue and welcome. It is a standard comment in the community sector, unfortunately, that Family Services still only has time and staff for really small children and babies and that anyone over 10 or 12 has to fend for themselves.
The question of relationship between the bureaucracy, consumers and the community sector is again important. Following prominent media coverage of a coroner's inquest earlier this year and through changes of staff at least, I think that the government has acknowledged that some changes in procedure or approach may be in order. There have been, however, a few more cases come to my attention recently that indicate that people on the ground and their advocates are still a long way from totally trusting the bureaucracy.
It is not simply a question of trusting the bureaucracy, although trusting institutions was one of the features of the roadmap to social sustainability that Walter de Oliveira laid out for us at a forum here in March. It is also about community development, about people having the opportunity to shape the services and activities that are available to them and to participate in the construction of their society.
With that in mind, this government's decision to put the expanded Belconnen youth services out to competitive tender deserves a little closer analysis. The result of the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .