Page 1425 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011
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students more actively in science education. I had the great pleasure recently of being at the opening of a wonderful new facility at the Palmerston primary school that was funded jointly by the ACT and federal governments and provides for some enhanced science and environmental science facilities for primary school students.
There are many examples across the ACT where, in partnership with the commonwealth government, the ACT government is investing in enhancing science facilities, particularly for primary school age students, as of course the standard provision of the education model of the 60s, 70s and 80s was really to focus specialist science facilities in high schools and colleges and perhaps not provide the right level of facility for primary schools.
We are seeking to address that in partnership with the commonwealth government, working closely with ACARA in relation to the new national curriculum and its implementation in the ACT, noting of course that it is one of the areas within that first phase of that curriculum implementation and is an area I am very conscious of and the department is very conscious of. Clearly there was some coverage of this matter about four of five months ago when the report was released and we continue to invest in this area to strengthen the curriculum and to work on our other major challenge in this area which relates to qualified teachers.
I am very pleased that, through our partnership with Teach for Australia and our partnership with the University of Canberra and other pre-service education providers, we are working specifically on tackling the shortage of qualified scientists to come into the teaching profession. I know this is an area the federal government are also concerned about. They are providing a range of incentives and concessions in relation to the higher education contribution scheme to try to attract more people into that field of study and therefore more people into the teaching profession in that area.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Hunter?
MS HUNTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, has the department of education sought specific advice regarding the teaching of science from institutions such as the Australian Academy of Science, which is a resource on our doorstep?
MR BARR: The department engages very broadly, as I have just outlined, with a range of education institutions and interested stakeholders in this area. We will continue our work. Of course, the organisation that the member refers to is but one of many stakeholders who have a particular interest in ensuring the quality of science education not only in the territory but in our nation. We will continue those engagements and those partnerships, as I have outlined, across a wide range of organisations.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Are you aware of how many schools are participating in the primary connections science package, a resource of the Australian Academy of Science?
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