Page 4267 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019
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Bullying and violence can have immediate and long-term negative impacts on everyone involved. It can create anxiety, fear and distress, and have lasting impacts on a person’s psychological and physical health. For students, this can impede their full participation in school life, learning and enjoyment.
The ACT government recognises that bullying is a whole-of-community issue and requires a whole-of-community response. Schools can and should draw on the help and expertise of other community organisations to respond to bullying and violence. When I moved a motion to refer this important matter to the committee in this place, on 4 April 2019, I said:
Any instance of bullying or violence in a school is unwelcome. It is vital that bullying and violence in schools are minimised to the extent possible and that these issues are … dealt with when they arise. Equally, because all are welcome in government schools, there will always be a need for deliberate effort to make school communities safe, supportive and inclusive. Schools are not isolated from social issues like bullying or violence faced in the wider community, and everyone—particularly community leaders like members in this place—has a responsibility to change our culture for the better.
I want to thank the parents, carers, teachers and other school staff, school leaders, school communities and stakeholders who have contributed to both the standing committee and advisory committee inquiries in a range of ways by hosting school visits, answering questions, writing submissions and appearing before hearings. I especially want to thank those who shared personal experiences of bullying and violence. This process can be incredibly difficult, and I am very sorry for their experiences.
As the government responses to both reports make clear, the government is committed to continued improvement in its response to bullying and violence in schools. The government is acting on the advice that it has received. Madam Speaker, I move:
Omit paragraph (3), substitute:
“(3) notes that the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development tabled, on 23 October 2019, the School Education Advisory Committee’s Safe and Supportive Schools report, the Government response to that report, and the Government response to the Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Youth Affairs’ report on the inquiry into the management and minimisation of bullying and violence in ACT schools.”.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (5.29): The ACT Greens are very happy to support the motion and the amendment. The motion relates to the production of documents which, as we now know, have been tabled in the Assembly. I acknowledge Minister Berry’s efforts to table the various reports and responses for today’s debate and I want to offer an independent view that she intended to bring them forward this week. I can say this because it was on the cabinet agenda last Friday and the documents were available to cabinet members last Friday. There was a clear intention to table them this week, and it is important to clarify that in light of the remarks made today.
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