10 December 2008

The Green plan for saving schools in the future

| johnboy
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Our highly paid Liberal team has had nothing to say this week despite a slew of Government policy initiatives.

The Greens Meredith Hunter, on the other hand, has announced legislation she’s bringing in to improve consultation around educational issues:

    ACT Greens Parliamentary Convenor Meredith Hunter has submitted a Bill to the Legislative Assembly which will amend the Education Act 2004 to ensure that any decision to close, amalgamate, or consider closing or amalgamating a government school are made in a rigorous, thoughtful and transparent manner.

    “This Bill will address issues in the act, to make sure that the sham consultation of 2006 can not be repeated,” Ms Hunter said today.

    “There will be clear timeframes outlined which will allow better consultation and assessment of the facts, which will lead to better process and decisions being made…

    “One of the greatest frustrations of the 2006 process was Government, with their minds already made up, heading out to listen to concerns, only to ignore them.

    “To address this, the Bill states that the Minister must explain to the school community how the school community’s views have been taken into account in making the final decision.

I for one want to know if the Liberals are going to support this bill. Also very interested in what Labor has to say about it. We’ll keep you posted.

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As I’ve said in another RA thread, the underlyiong problem is the pubic servants who have a culture of non-consultation. This has been encoraged by a succession of ministers, of both hues.

This culture will not change just because there is a concordat between ALP and Greens.

It needs wholesale bureaucratic change within departments before this insidious cancer is properly excised.

They don’t need to ‘consult’. They’re an entity unto themselves.

Why waste time talking to the plebs?

I still reckon it’s better than what was there, and I can’t see how you can MAKE any government actually really, really consult. Not this one anyway.

Very true miz which is why I think this legislation may be largely toothless. Technically the ALP did consult with the populace, they just didn’t care what the populace thought.

Then again, they won reelection so what can you do.

“One of the greatest frustrations of the 2006 process was Government, with their minds already made up, heading out to listen to concerns, only to ignore them.”

This statement seems to encapsulate the government’s ‘consultation’ strategy about lotsa stuff lately . . .

Oops, meant to say “not necessarily say that”.

It’s been a LONG day.

Well, a sneaky gubbmint would starve the school of resources and make sure it became a haven for the worst teachers in the system.

JB, I would necessarily say that. Some of the worst teachers in the system are in ‘good’ schools and yes in some of the ‘bad’ ones but they usually get promoted anyway.

Also, in one school they don’t have enough money to buy new books etc but they amazingly have money for an LCD flat screen for a fitness room and a Nintendo Wii for ‘behavioural/academic’ unit.

I just took it as someone else buying into CrazyChester’s particular brand of tits-out screaming crazy.

tylersmayhem3:46 pm 10 Dec 08

also…
Mr Satanhope?

You saw the Libs Ad campaigns didn’t you – he looked particularly evil in that slow panning grey tones shot of him yelling like a banshee. It still gives me the chills 😛

Skidbladnir said :

Mr Satanhope?

Why Not?

Its not like we can call him Stanhopeless anymore, he still would make good bayonetting mannikin for the reserves or Dads Army.

I don’t think Stanhope has to assume any position yet, its Andrew Barr who’s most likely to be the Education Minister who has to go through this whole process.

also…
Mr Satanhope?

I think it lacks teeth but I’m not particularly opposed. I skim read it but the time restrictions don’t particularly seem too onerous for the purposes of considered policy anyway.

Awesome.

Mr Satanhope, assume the poisition…

Link to the Bill? would like to see the fine details before passing judgement.

This is a good idea. The public system took a bit of a confidence hit as a result of 2006, and this might help to restore some balance. It seems to me is that the whole thing is a statement of what should have happened anyway. It’s a non-contentious (to everyone but Labor) and welcome amendment.

If this is the flavour of things to come, then I’ll have to take back everything I said about Greens being a branch of Labor.

Well, a sneaky gubbmint would starve the school of resources and make sure it became a haven for the worst teachers in the system.

Then the parents would beg them to shut it down.

Doesn’t work when making wholesale closure’s though. A retail only operation.

Does anyone seriously think that the school community’s views on closing or amalgamating their school would ever be anything except agin’ it?

The Greens would be better off legislating for minimum standards on things like distance to closest primary school / high school / college, number of major roads to cross, closest school bus stop, maximum catchment size etc.

Gungahlin Al1:51 pm 10 Dec 08

to make sure that the sham consultation of 2006 can not be repeated

Ow! No cosy coalition relationship here. Guess Mr Stanhope should have seen that coming after his recent comments on the Greens’ position on the data centre location…

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