SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Education. What support will teachers and students have during 2009, as the first new SACE subjects are being introduced for year 10 students this year?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:09): I thank the member for Reynell for her question. As members would know, she has been a great advocate for senior secondary reform, the introduction of trade schools—she has given support for trade training centres—and, in addition, she has supported the development of the new SACE.

She quite rightly points out that 2009 is an important year in the development of the new SACE program and that year 10 students this year will be the first to take part in the new compulsory subject. Our suite of reforms also included lifting the age of compulsory education to 17 and making sure that young people are in school, in work or in training. This learning or earning initiative will support ongoing training and education for young people.

The first subject introduced as a new subject in year 10 is called the personal learning plan. Of course, students now in year 10 will be the first in 2011 to be completing year 12 with the entirely new SACE curriculum. These students with their personal learning plans have been involved across all government, Catholic and independent schools. They have been supported through training by the SACE board of their teachers over the past year. The SACE board has also accredited this new subject, and it is a compulsory subject for all students.

Of course, teachers play a very important role in working with young people in their training to undertake the SACE. This new subject was trialled in all schools with year 10 students. In addition, teachers were prepared to teach the revised subjects across a range of curriculum areas, taking into account the new requirements for performance standards that will grade students between A and E on a scale for the first time in stage 1.

As part of their professional development, teachers have been supported with $3 million for schools wherever there are students in years 10, 11 and 12. This has built on professional development, and pilot funds totalling $5.3 million have been provided since 2007 to support thousands of teachers in their new role. Also, we have provided 55 schools with grants and support totalling $1.9 million as part of a three year investment in school-to-work initiatives.

I know the member for Reynell knows about these initiatives, because they help schools to pioneer innovative ways in which to develop the work skills of young people, particularly vocational industry skills, as well as literary, numeracy, science and maths, with a particular program called First Generation, which helps young people, like me, who are the first in their family to ever attend university. For those people who have never had anyone in their family attend university, being the first is an enormous, and sometimes frightening, barrier.

This week I have been advising principals in Catholic, independent and government secondary schools of grants totalling $1.2 million that are available to them. This funding is for another new compulsory subject called the research project, which will be undertaken at stage 2 as part of the year 12 portion of SACE.

I commend Catholic, independent and government schools, as well as the SACE Board, for the work they have done together across all sectors to support the government's $54.5 million investment in delivering a new SACE. The purpose of this new program is not just newness for the sake of a new program but, rather, to help young people complete their secondary education and gain employment, as well as having an opportunity to go on to post-secondary training. Of course, that does not mean just university; it means apprenticeships, vocational courses and other on-the-job training to give them opportunities in their future life.