Page 654 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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When people in positions of some prominence want to rekindle the class divide, it does little to progress any sensible debate on improving what we have. It is disappointing that recent public discussions on education matters focused mostly on NAPLAN and trying to bring some competition between schools in the public and non-government sectors and between schools in various suburbs and other jurisdictions.
When it comes to ACT schools, we need to be more sector blind. We need to move past and beyond the old and dated arguments of public versus private. We have for too long had ministers here only willing to promote public education at the expense and detriment of the non-government schools, but I do recognise that the minister has worked to overcome that image.
Choice for parents in education should come down to what is the best fit for their child. It is that fact that is so often overlooked by those who advocate support for only a public system. Talking with other parents and visiting the schools and meeting the principals and teachers is very important. It is no longer sufficient to assume your child will or should just go to whatever school is closest or where their friends are.
When we move to other tools parents might use to make a decision, how well schools perform in NAPLAN testing is useful. NAPLAN results and the My School website are often quoted, and more often misquoted or misinterpreted, but they do remain among the best tools for parents. Recent NAPLAN results have attracted much attention and some questionable analysis from some media sources.
The minister in question time yesterday, in response to a question, appropriately highlighted ACT schools that had improved their rankings in the most recent testing, but it was disappointing that she only selected ACT public schools for mention, because there are a number of non-government schools that have performed well, especially when ranked according to financial contribution. It is also disappointing that the minister continues to highlight only how well Canberra schools are doing and skims over other factors. We really have to be honest and say that some of our students are not doing as well as they might or should, and we should be working harder to identify the reasons for them falling below national minimum averages.
We know it is not just students in public schools. We know it is not just students in schools that are under or well resourced. There are other factors at play, and if we do not recognise some schools are struggling they will never get the assistance that they need.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Children and Young People, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Women, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (3.54): I thank Mrs Jones for bringing this on. It is important that we offer choice, and I am on record as saying that. I consider myself the minister for all education, and there should be choice. Indeed, one of the most fundamental choices that parents make is about where they send their children to school, and it is a complicated decision. It could be the look of the school, the feel of the school, the convenience to work, the convenience to home—a whole range of factors come into those decisions.
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