Page 421 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 18 March 2014
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MR DOSZPOT: Minister, what evidence led you to be concerned that parents might not believe that their sons and daughters are currently in good hands in ACT public schools?
MS BURCH: I would say that Canberra families have absolute confidence in the education here in the ACT. Just recently My School showed that we continue to outperform most other states. The 2013 NAPLAN showed ACT schools leading or equal leading in 20 out of 20 elements tested.
There is nothing in front of me to say that Canberra families do not have confidence in our education system. But if Mr Doszpot wants to misquote or semi-quote some language from me, I will always strive to raise the bar and do the best. Whilst we have a fabulous system here in the ACT, with great teachers in front of our kids each and every day, there is no reason for us to stop continuing to raise the bar and say “How do we continue to improve; how do we do better?” because standing still is just not an option, Mr Doszpot.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Minister, what are the results of the government’s efforts to increase teachers’ professionalism and support student outcomes across the territory?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Gentleman for his question. There are two key elements that I can provide in response to that. One is the work that is done through the Teacher Quality Institute here. It is a relatively new organisation that is about maintaining professional standards and supporting the teaching profession in those new standards and in their registration. They do fabulous work. They do very strong work in a cross-sectoral environment. Public school teachers, teachers from the Catholic education unit, teachers from independent schools come together in their work and are supported through professional development and through the ongoing professional requirements for registration.
The other element of that is making sure that we have the best of the best teachers. I recently made an announcement that from 2015 we will apply a test for all recruits coming into ACT public schools. That is the lever I have as an employer to make sure that we continue to get the best of the best. I have asked the directorate to give me some advice about what would be a test for those teachers coming into our employment to make sure that they sit in the top 30 per cent of the national average of literacy and numeracy.
I think that is in the backdrop of a national debate that is looking at ATAR or the entry points going into university undergraduate studies. I do not have a direct lever on that. I do as an employer and I will not step back from doing all I can to continue to raise the bar on the quality of our teachers.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Lawder.
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