Page 3768 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Recreation) (6.49): I would like to thank Ms Porter for her continued interest in the education portfolio. She has spoken this evening about the importance of restorative practices, and I will reflect briefly on these practices but also discuss how the ACT government is listening to children and young people, investing in their future and delivering safer schools and communities.
Many social problems which are present in our communities manifest themselves in our schools. I have said this before and I will say it again: bullying and violence will only disappear from our schools when they disappear from our community. Children and young people are exposed to violence and bad behaviour through a range of different mediums. They see it on TV, in movies and in video games. Unfortunately, they see it glorified on social network sites. They see it when their favourite sports stars are arrested. We cannot pretend that violence does not exist in our society.
Sadly, some children and young people do not just see bullying and violence in the media. As Minister for Children and Young People, I know that vulnerable children are experiencing bullying and violence in their own homes. For this reason, I am pleased to say that we have a full complement of child protection workers who are getting on with the job of helping these vulnerable children and young people. So, unfortunately, it is no surprise when some of our children experience problems at school, and this is why our schools are using a range of strategies to address problems as they arise.
As Ms Porter indicated in her speech, approximately 80 per cent of ACT schools have now been trained on how to use restorative practices in the classroom and in the playground. An increasing number of schools are using such practices. Through restorative practices, students are encouraged to accept responsibility for their actions and be accountable. But no one strategy suits all circumstances, no one strategy suits all schools. That is why so many schools mix their own ideas and strategies, such as those developed by the ACT safe schools task force, with restorative practices.
Two years ago I established the ACT safe schools task force. The task force includes representatives from ACT Policing, the ACT branch of the Australian Education Union, the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations, the ACT Principals Association, the Canberra Preschool Society and the ACT Department of Education and Training. To date, the safe schools task force has helped to strengthen links with ACT Policing. For example, at their June meeting the task force received an update on the Constable Kenny Koala program and discussed how student safety programs in schools can be improved.
The task force has also worked closely with the ACT government to develop and deliver a series of policies. These include the providing safe schools policy, the countering bullying, harassment and violence in ACT public schools policy, the keeping children safe in cyberspace guide, and the code of conduct for public schools, which outlines what is expected of all people when on ACT public school grounds.
Through the providing safe schools P-12 policy, all schools develop and promote systemic strategies to promote safe learning environments. Through the countering bullying, harassment and violence in ACT schools policy, students, parents and
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .