Page 3776 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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H courses epitomise excellence and are at the heart of excellence in education: they provide opportunities for students to stretch themselves, to challenge themselves and to succeed beyond their expectations. Additionally, although this is not an objective in itself, they have the benefit of reducing costs to students and families through a shorter university pathway.
Why have they been dropped? It makes no sense, and to date no sensible reason has been given: not to students, not to parents, not to music administrators, not to former graduates and not to the broader Canberra community. I have written to the minister for education and the minister for the arts seeking answers; to date, I have not had any response. I understand that an e-petition sponsored by Ms Le Couteur has been started by former students and has already garnered over 600 signatures, so it will be referred to an ACT Assembly standing committee.
I had optimistically hoped that Ms Le Couteur would do the right thing, where it really matters, in supporting my motion in the Assembly today. Alas, I see that she has gone to the extent of rewriting my entire motion in her amendment. I look forward to seeing her justification for doing so.
It is not too late for common sense to prevail and for this decision to be reversed. It is not too late for the minister for education to put some real meat on her future of education strategy. In that paper, she talked about the ACT education system of the future being personalised to each child: “Each student treads their own educational pathway based on their developing interests, knowledge and skills.” She told us that the future of education strategy rests on four foundations, two of which are to “place students at the centre of their learning” and “empower teachers, school leaders and other professionals to meet the learning needs of all students”. Removing H courses goes against both of these ideals. Removing H courses prevents students from treading their own educational pathway. Removing H courses is clearly not placing students at the centre of their learning. Removing H courses will prevent educators from meeting the learning needs of students.
Where has the minister been since this first became widely known? Apparently the decision to cut this course was made in February this year. Not one word was said. Not one explanation. Regrettably, it was only a few weeks ago that I learnt of its fate. Students were probably hoping for a change of heart. Clearly, despite the thousands of conversations held about education this year, the minister held not a single conversation on this subject. Why was the minister for education so missing in action on this in February—and, seven months later, still silent?
There are currently 30 students enrolled in the H courses in music and another 139 are enrolled in the other 14 H courses. How secure are they? Clearly not so. If a course with an impeccable track record like the H course in music is being cut without explanation, what is to stop a minister abandoning the others? So much for equity; so much for excellence; so much for student-centred learning. When it comes down to it, this government is good at talk but a poor performer when it comes to real action and commitment. I commend my motion to the Assembly.
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