Page 3167 - Week 10 - Thursday, 18 October 2007
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Secondly, in relation to sport in schools, I am a very strong believer in the importance of high quality physical education programs in our schools and the link that this has with increased performance in other areas of education. I do not think it is a coincidence that we lead the nation in educational outcomes and in participation in physical activity. As concerns about childhood obesity rise and new evidence emerges that one-quarter of our year 6 students are overweight or obese, I believe that now is the time to revitalise school sport and physical education in schools.
I am committed to providing a range of quality opportunities to encourage and support ACT schoolchildren to be physically active. As well as maintaining the range of current initiatives, the Stanhope government will be renewing its commitment to sport in our schools. As the only minister in Australia to have responsibility for both sport and education portfolios, I am very keen to see the ACT take the lead in what I hope will be a national focus on the importance of sport in education. The health benefits will be obvious, but high quality physical education is also about teaching students skills which can lead to improvements in other areas of education and life.
I believe that forging a comprehensive agenda on improving Australia’s education is possible if federal Labor wins the election. I am already very encouraged by federal Labor’s policies and Stephen Smith’s commitment to actually consult with the states and territories on the ways ahead. A Rudd Labor government will give all Australian four-year-olds the right to early childhood education. Kevin Rudd has committed to investing $450 million to ensure that all four-year-olds will receive 15 hours of preschool or early childhood learning per week for a minimum of 40 weeks per year delivered by a qualified teacher. Labor’s commitment to making this investment is there in black and white and in both the public and private sectors. We can see here an example of where federal Labor and the Stanhope government are working together and are both committed to giving our children the very best start in life. What have Mrs Dunne and her federal colleagues, her local colleagues, in fact, had to say about early childhood education? They have said nothing.
A Rudd Labor government is also committed to investing $44 million in ACT schools to establish trades training centres in all of Canberra’s 41 high schools. There are nearly 20,000 students in the ACT in years 9, 10, 11 and 12 in government, Catholic and independent secondary schools, all of whom will benefit from federal Labor’s trades training centres schools plan. As we are aware, not every ACT student wants to go on to university and many do want to pursue an apprenticeship or pursue a specialist trade. Federal Labor’s plan responds to these needs by providing a real career path for students while they are still in school.
Federal Labor will also provide $1.2 million to help ACT high school students studying for a trade get practical on-the-job training by providing grants of up to $10,000 per school to secure one day a week of on-the-job training for 20 weeks a year. Again, what do Mrs Dunne, her local or federal colleagues have to offer the ACT on trades in schools? They offer nothing.
I conclude by saying that the Stanhope government has put in place a comprehensive agenda for education in the ACT. It stands in stark contrast to the policy vacuum that we see on the other side of the chamber.
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