Page 4314 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 13 October 2009
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extremely well in most circumstances. However, it is very much acknowledged that it is not a magic bullet. We should not apply a one-size-fits-all approach, especially when faced with the complex situations that we face in our community. The matters we are dealing with here and which are the focus of this amendment are usually very complex.
Members of this Assembly may be familiar with the expression “it takes a village to raise a child”. I believe the sentiment behind this is relevant in how we as a community can support our children and young people who feel disengaged from schooling. For some, this disengagement manifests itself in behaviour that threatens and disrupts the school environment, the learning of others and the safety and wellbeing of other students and staff, as well as themselves, as I said. It is easy to be critical of these young people. It is easy to sit back and say that if they can’t behave they should not be in school, where they disrupt the learning of other students and undermine their wellbeing.
However, it is important to keep this in perspective. The vast majority of students attend school regularly and enjoy their learning. They go through their years of schooling and contribute confidently and positively to the culture of the school. But we know that, for a small number, school can be very difficult. Sometimes these students have families who have great difficulty in their lives and who do not have the strategies or personal resources to assist their children through these difficult times. However, we need to support those who are vulnerable, especially the children and young people and their families in these instances.
We are very fortunate in the ACT that government and non-government agencies work in partnership to ensure that everything possible is done to support young people facing difficulties and adversity and their families. It is a new way of working. No longer is it sufficient for schools and families to go unsupported and to cope in isolation. The Assembly has already heard about the support programs in place within the Department of Education and Training. These programs range from early intervention programs to assist those students who are at risk of becoming disengaged with school to pastoral care programs and programs that support classroom teachers and schools in developing strategies to support students. These supports work in partnership with other agencies like Health and the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services to provide holistic support for young people and their families.
There are three main interagency programs that support young people and their families. The first is the child and youth interagency network. This network is coordinated by the Department of Education and Training and it comprises a range of agencies, both government and non-government, that meet to support students with complex needs who would benefit from case coordination. Agencies involved might include Care and Protection, the Child at Risk Unit, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and Youth Justice. As I said, often these situations are extremely complex.
The second program is turnaround. Turnaround is a program coordinated by the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services. It aims to improve service response for young people aged 12 to 18 years who have complex issues in
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