Page 2789 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 12 August 2015
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our teachers to have high levels of literacy and numeracy. As was mentioned today in your earlier motion, Mr Assistant Speaker, we will this year assess all teachers that are recruited into ACT public education to ensure that they are in the top 30 per cent of the country in literacy and numeracy.
Research also shows that positive parental engagement in learning promotes academic achievement. I want to see families in a genuine partnership with their schools, and put families in a position to support the education of their children. Putting children and parents at the centre has been a key priority for me and this government, and the ACT has led the nation in educational reform.
There is much that the ACT can offer to inform reforms in this space, and we have a strong track record in the area of school education. Our education system has consistently delivered Australia’s best overall NAPLAN results as we have some of the best educators in the country. I am confident that we can provide insights into how our education system may evolve nationally and help Australian children to be ready for the challenges into the future.
Our priorities going forward will be designed to ensure that every child, young person and adult will benefit from a high quality, accessible childcare, education and training system. Underpinning such a system is an equitable and appropriately targeted approach to funding. Accordingly, this government will continue its commitment to needs-based funding in our public schools.
To support this I call on the commonwealth government to reverse the growth funding cuts, which for the ACT are estimated to be around $7 million from 2018; that is, our schools, predominantly our Catholic system schools and our independent schools, will be worse off to the tune of $7 million. That is something that they have very serious concerns about. I call, and continue to call through the Education Council, for the commonwealth government to reinstate that funding growth. I hope that all of us in this place, even those from the Canberra Liberals, would support not taking $7 million out of our Catholic system and our independent schools.
The directorate will take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to identifying areas of underachievement and turn them around while also extending those students who are already performing well. We will cultivate a culture of high expectations in our schools in which every child, regardless of their background or circumstance, has the support and the opportunity to be the best that they can be. We will be directing funds to where they are needed most, to ensure that every child has the knowledge, skills and disposition for success in an ever increasing globalised and digital world. Through this budget our focus remains on providing the best education system in Australia, and to each and every child.
In closing I would like to respond to some of the matters raised by Mr Doszpot in his comments. One was in regard to an election commitment of $70 million. Our election commitment was very clear. We said we would upgrade and extend existing classrooms; fund better fit-out of furnishings and equipment; deliver play area upgrades; refurbish simple things such as toilets, change rooms and shower blocks; and provide new rainwater tanks. Mr Doszpot asked where that money was being
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