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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-27 Daily Xml
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EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES LEGISLATION

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:43): My question is directed to the Minister for Education. What progress has been made to reform education and children's services legislation?

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) (14:43): I thank the member for Reynell. I know that she has been very active in responding to all our consultation processes and has been involved in commenting on and supporting the formation of the important legislative reform agenda that this government has undertaken in order to bring our education system up to date after more than two decades of little reform.

Already, the government has been involved in listening to and working with a range of communities across all the education sectors—parents, unions, communities, and school councils—to improve our legislation to support the education and care of today's children and future generations.

The feedback that we have received through these consultations has been really invaluable and has allowed us to develop new laws which have already paved the way for better child protection systems; sound standards for registering teachers, with a new teacher's registration board; a new SACE board to oversee the new South Australia's Certificate of Education, which is being introduced to year 10 students from the start of next year; and new compulsory education learning or earning laws, which will support young people to remain in school or relevant training until their 17th birthday, or until they achieve their SACE or an equivalent qualification. And this, of course, will be introduced into the community next year.

In September, my colleague the Minister for Early Childhood Development, Jay Weatherill, and I announced a new discussion paper that invites education and early childhood communities and organisations to contribute their views on the proposed legislative change. This discussion paper is the third in a series and covers a diverse range of issues that relate to the administration and operation of our services.

The views and feedback obtained from this discussion paper will help inform the development of a draft bill which will again be consulted on and introduced into the South Australian parliament during 2009. Written submissions will be received until 5 December and I encourage all those interested in this agenda to log onto www.edlawreform.sa.gov.au where there will be copies of the discussion paper and a response and feedback form so that they can be involved in this debate.

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