Fighting for Equity in Education
//The Save Our Schools Canberra group today called on the Minister for Education, Andrew Barr, to release the full enrolment application figures for high schools in 2007. SOS spokesperson, Trevor Cobbold, criticised the Minister for releasing only selective figures. Continue reading “SOS Calls for Full Enrolment Figures”
//The peak public education advisory body to the ACT Government has expressed alarm at the extent and impact of school closures proposed in the Towards 2020 Plan. It has also indicated its grave concern about the impact of the Budget on equity in education.
In a response to the Education Budget, the Government Schools Education Council has said that the Budget will clearly exacerbate inequity in the ACT, undermine the Canberra Social Plan, restrict access to higher performance, and affect the quality of educational provision. It expressed its alarm at the extent and impact of the school closures proposed, the extent of head office cuts and their effects, and the extent of the reductions proposed to the teaching force.
Continue reading “Education Council Alarmed at School Closures”//Save Our Schools Canberra today questioned the figures released by the Minister for Education, Andrew Barr, showing that enrolments in government high schools have increased.
SOS Canberra spokesperson, Trevor Cobbold, said that the increase more likely reflects parent uncertainty about the future of many schools under the Towards 2020 plan. Continue reading “More Shonky Figures From the Minister?”
//The Save Our Schools group today called for a public inquiry to investigate the financial and social impact of the Towards 2020 Plan to close 39 schools.
SOS spokesperson, Trevor Cobbold, said that an inquiry is needed because the consultation process has failed to address key issues required by legislation and has now become a farce. Continue reading “SOS Call for Public Inquiry on School Closures”
//This is an event to publicise our support for our schools. The theme is that we love our schools and would like to keep them the way they are! The event was initially for schools in the NW Belconnen cluster, but has now been widened to include all schools, preschools and colleges who want to be involved. Continue reading “The Faces of Public Education – North-West Belconnen media event”
//The Australian College of Education has challenged participants in the school closure debates to focus on educational outcomes. Save Our Schools Canberra is happy to take up the challenge, since improving educational outcomes, particularly equity in outcomes, for ACT students, is the ultimate test of the Stanhope Government’s proposal – a test which it totally fails.
Continue reading “No Educational Rationale for School Closures”//It is with deep regret that the teaching profession in ACT public schools is once again forced into the position of taking industrial action.
The ACT Budget was brought down on 6 June locking in place the cut of 145 teaching positions in schools [120 or 10% from secondary schools] worth $12.5m on an annual basis and 90 positions from the Central Office [a cut of $6m in this financial year and $11.5m in the following financial year]. Further job cuts are planned in the Towards 2020 proposals including 22 senior positions for 2007. Continue reading “Teacher Cuts Undermine Public Education”
//The Stanhope Government has admitted that it has no plans in place to cope with increased bus travel by students as a result of school closures. Nor has it any plans to improve traffic safety measures for students walking or cycling long distances to and from school.
Continue reading “No Funding for Increased Student Bus Travel and Student Safety”//The Save Our Schools group said today that the Minister for Education, Andrew Barr, has failed to meet statutory obligations to provide parents with statements of reasons for schools being listed for closure.
SOS spokesperson, Dr. Ian Morgan, said that the Minister had failed to comply with the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1989, and his Government has shown contempt not only for the school parent community, but also for the Legislative Assembly and ACT law. Continue reading “Minister Fails to Meet Legal Obligations on School Closures Information”
//The Stanhope Government has failed to do any planning to provide traffic calming or pedestrian and cycling safety infrastructure for students travelling longer distances to and from school as a result of school closures.
A way of highlighting this Government neglect and incompetence in providing for student safety is for parent groups to organise a ‘safety hazard walk’ to other schools in the region. The purpose is to document and highlight safety hazards for young children walking or cycling to a school outside their local neighbourhood.
‘Safety hazard walks’ could be organised by whole groups of families as a way of generating media publicity about the safety risks of travelling to a school outside the neighbourhood. Good media liaison is essential to the success of these events. Also, it is a good idea to check the route beforehand so as to be prepared for significant safety risks, especially if young children are involved.
The information obtained in such walks can be used in press releases to highlight the lack of Government planning and concern for student safety. It can also be used in submissions on the Towards 2020 Plan.