ACT Education Minister Joy Burch has quietly abolished two independent and long-standing education advisory councils, and will delegate new advisors despite overwhelming opposition from across Canberra's education community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT government passed legislation on ACT budget day which abolishes both the Government and the Non-Government Schools Education Councils from next month.
The councils have met each term since 2004 to provide budget and strategic policy advice across a range of issues affecting all schools in the ACT.
The unions representing both government and non-government schools, and professional bodies representing principals, parents and citizens, students, Indigenous students and students from non-English speaking background have all expressed concerns about their ability to provide frank advice to the minister under the new system – appealing for Ms Burch to maintain their legislative protections and access.
The ACT opposition, which also voted against the abolition, said the move was not only questionable but its timing was underhanded given all eyes at the time were focussed on the ACT budget.
Opposition education spokesman Steve Doszpot said he did not understand how the government had passed the legislation given the level of concern across the education community to the move.
"This change by Minister Burch to the Education Act has removed two valuable advisory councils with prescribed positions, replacing them with a body that is totally at the control of the minister. The Canberra Liberals voted against this amendment, because we have listened to the views of a majority of the membership of these committees," Mr Doszpot said.
"Under the new legislation it's at the minister's whim as to who she deems appropriate to receive advice from on various education issues."
He noted that Ms Burch had the power to amend the makeup of the previous committees, if she felt there were inadequacies in representation, "but she decided to throw the whole lot out".
The Australian Education Union said "on the day most Canberrans were understandably focused on the ACT budget" the government had timed the abolition of widely representative and important advisory groups.
"The AEU repeatedly advised Minister Burch over more than twelve months that this would be a retrograde step. The two councils will now be replaced with an advisory committee which will meet if and when the minister likes, and it will comprise whomever the minister chooses.
"This is either a lack of appreciation or a deliberate sidelining of the teachers' union as the voice of public school teachers. It is clear that our voice has become inconvenient to the minister and it apparently needs to be reduced."
Similarly, the Independent Education Union said their advice under new arrangements risked being reactive rather than proactive and they had expressed their concerns over the legislative changes directly to Ms Burch.
"It is intended that expert focus groups will be invited by the minister to deal matters as they arise – the IEU supports a forward-looking and preventative approach," said union organiser Lyn Caton.
Ms Burch justified the new system, saying "After much consultation, the government has decided that this new model will stop any duplication or inflexibility and allow for members from a variety of backgrounds to inform important education policy."
"The minister will be able to determine the role of any type of advisory body across any and all school sectors. These changes will create more flexible and fit-for-purpose arrangements, which will mean better and more timely advice to the minister," she said.
A spokesman rejected any implication that the passage of the legislation was timed to coincide with the budget.
Ms Burch has meanwhile appointed the former chair of the Government Schools Education Council to head up her new advisory body.
Craig Curry, a respected former principal and executive director within ACT Education, said he understood that the majority of the membership of the former councils had not wanted the councils abolished.
"This was the minister's desire and I will do my best. I look forward to working with all new members and to provide a balanced view for all education sectors and stakeholders."
It is understood ACT principals have concerns about the move, while the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations said there was nothing wrong with the old system
Council vice president Hugh Boulter said "Our concerns are over elasticity of who gets to be on the new council. The previous body made some very significant contributions over time and if we lose that capacity and transparency in representation then that would have have an impact on the minister receiving high quality advice – and for that advice to be truly representative," Mr Boulter said.
