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Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Government sinks Libs move on violent schools

ACT principals face the highest levels of violence in the country, but an attempt by the Canberra Liberals to refer the problem to a Legislative Assembly standing committee has been voted down by the government. 

Opposition education spokesman Jeremy Hanson.

The recent annual survey of 2500 school leaders by the Australian Catholic University revealed that:

  • 75.6 per cent of ACT principals faced threats of violence, the highest rate in Australia.
  • 73.2 per cent of ACT principals faced actual violence, the highest in Australia.
  • Almost 60 per cent of ACT principals are at risk of serious mental health concerns, the highest in Australia.

Liberal education spokesman Jeremy Hanson was pressing the Assembly on Thursday to refer this matter to the Education and Community Inclusion  Standing Committee.

“The Canberra Liberals are very concerned about the workload and levels of violence against principals in the ACT and the Labor-Greens government must act now,” Hanson said.

Education Minister Yvette Berry said the government would work with the Australian Education Union – ACT Branch and its 10-point action plan to “build a positive public school environment in which every school worker, leader and student is safe and free from bullying, harassment and violence”.

“Violence in our communities, including in our schools, is a complex social problem. The government will keep working with the AEU to meet our shared interest of safety across all ACT public schools

“The government has already made a $1.14 million investment to establish the Safe@School Taskforce, which is leading a system-wide transformation to improve the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. This work is ongoing.”

She said she had written to federal Education Minister Jason Clare asking for the issue of community expectations of schools to be included on the agenda for the Education Minister’s meeting.

Hanson said the Canberra Liberals agreed in principle with the 10-point action plan put forward by the Australian Education Union and it should form a large part of the terms of reference for the Assembly committee.

“If the Education Union, principals, teachers and parents are crying out for more action to address these significant concerns, the minister can no longer turn a blind eye,” he said.

“We know school funding in the ACT has been cut in real terms over the last decade by the ACT government, highlighted by a recent paper by the Australian Education Union that highlights almost all ACT principals say the directorate lacks resources to meet demand.

“This Barr-Rattenbury government is more concerned with funnelling money into a tram instead of our education system and the Canberra Liberals are focused on teachers not trams.”

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