SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. When will the submissions and results of the new SACE evaluation be made public? This morning, on the radio, the minister claimed that the results of the SACE evaluation will be made public by the end of 2012, yet the government briefing prepared for the opposition states that the board will not release the SACE first year evaluation publicly until March 2013, well into the next school year.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:44): My advice and, in fact, my very clear expectation of the SACE Board, who are responsible for the evaluation, of course—and that is worthwhile remembering—is that I expect the results of the evaluation to be made public. I am advised that the SACE Board, in fact, will consider the evaluation in the middle of the year. They will need some time to consider it and then people such as myself will be advised as to those recommendations.

We are being completely open and transparent about this process. The SACE evaluation was always on the cards back in 2008. This is a very significant initiative that the government committed to. We started this process in 2004, wrapped it up in 2006 and introduced it in 2011. We are to be commended for so quickly undertaking the evaluation that was committed to.

Again, I urge all members who have an interest—in fact, they were the two things I did say to Bill Cossey, who was the chair. I said I expect this to be an open and transparent process and I also said that I expect that everybody who has a say about the new SACE is to be heard, and I am confident that that will occur.

Mr PISONI: Point or order: I asked the minister when. We haven't heard that answer.

The SPEAKER: No, sit down, member for Unley. I think the minister explained that well enough. She has explained the process and gave some time frames. The member for Little Para.