Page 3910 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 25 September 2019

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In defending this decision Ms Berry stated that student agency is a key principle in this government’s education strategy. She said young people want a greater say in what and how they learn and that they see themselves as decision-makers within their learning environments. That sounds pretty good, but like so many lofty ideals routinely offered up by those opposite, the reality is a bit less inspiring.

I was alerted to this reality by a 15-year-old constituent in my electorate of Ginninderra who attends a government school. She is trying to catch up with her school work. She explained to me how much pressure her school put her under last week to participate in Friday’s protest. Nevertheless, keen to be a genuine decision-maker within her learning environment, she made the choice not to miss any lessons, to attend school and to learn.

Her agency was not honoured by this government’s education system, however. She felt that whilst she had the right to attend school on Friday she did not have the right to be taught anything. She was told that students who showed up would just have to waste their school day watching movies instead. The message to this young Canberran could not have been any clearer: if she was not willing to join the students strike and if she wanted to attend school she was going to be denied a full day of lessons to just watch movies instead.

What sort of message is this government sending our students? What about encouraging her and other students who want to go to school to embrace that learning environment and use this time to seek assistance from your teachers, whether it be for your homework, assignments, exams coming up, or even learning the subject’s lesson from your teacher?

These students are very much aware of their future and are investing their time and their talent to prepare themselves for their future in college, maybe university or CIT or even an apprenticeship. Attending school helps them in their chosen pathway, and this student chose to do that. How dare the minister take that away from her and other students. It is true that many young people want a greater say in what and how they learn, as Minister Berry stated. I put the education minister on notice that there are students who are keen to attend school and choose to learn in a school environment, and they should be honoured, encouraged and commended.

We must never, ever discourage students from wanting to attend school during a public protest at a public venue. All students are different. We must honour those students for expressing their free agency in how and where they learn, even in a school environment. They deserve it.

MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (6.00): We are not at all surprised to once again see a motion lauding the government from a Labor backbencher, but before I get to the substantial comments that I am going to make, I move the amendment circulated in my name:

Add new paragraph (3):

“(3) the comprehensive awareness program must be undertaken before 31 December 2019 and the Government must provide a report to the Assembly in February 2020 about the activities undertaken.”.


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