Page 2619 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 August 2019

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The ACT government is also building strong and safe communities of learning in partnership with parents and the community. Through this plan, the government is building on its $5.3 million investment to ensure that all schools provide inclusive environments with safe, calming spaces to support students with complex needs.

The government is also providing alternative programs and options for students at risk of disengaging from secondary school. The clear and specific areas of activity and investment outlined in this plan will enrich the learning journey of all students, regardless of background and vulnerability.

Priority 2 is giving students more of a say. The ACT government heard time and time again from the community conversation that the education system should recognise students as individuals with their own unique passions and interests. In response, the government’s second priority is giving students more of a say in their learning and in the decisions that impact them.

The government’s long-term intent for the future of education is to create an education system that is personalised for each child where they tread their own path based on their own interests, knowledge and skills. The activities outlined in the implementation plan reflect this aspiration, with initiatives that are connecting young people to their learning and driving student agency.

Students will be empowered to co-construct their learning opportunities, drawing on integrated technologies and evidence-informed approaches that provide choice in what, how, when and where they learn. The ACT government understands that there are many pathways for students to succeed. This plan brings together a range of opportunities, such as streamlining vocational education and training, exploring opportunities for cross-institutional study, and accelerated pathways for students in partnership with the University of Canberra to ensure that the right pathway is available to meet each student’s need. The government’s recent investment of $5.7 million to establish an academy of future skills also stands as a clear example of the real, tangible actions that this government is taking to invest in what matters most: the future of the ACT’s children.

Priority 3 is to support a workforce for the future. Through this implementation plan, the ACT government will continue to invest in empowering teachers. Teachers change lives, which is represented clearly in the third priority of supporting a workforce for the future. The implementation plan provides a clear commitment to supporting our educators throughout all stages of their career. This starts during pre-service training, with a focus on ensuring the right mix of academic and practical skills needed for the classroom and continues through systemic induction for new teachers that ensures that supports are in place the moment they arrive in the classroom, all the way to strengthening school leadership capabilities at a system scale.

A highlighted example is a revised principal career structure designed to facilitate enhanced career pathways and placement of skilled, experience principals in schools where they are most needed to drive improved student outcomes. At the same time, there is a focus on principal wellbeing and laying the foundations for the best practice


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