The ACT Government believes all children and young people deserve the best start in life. This includes access to a quality education, feeling safe and protected in their community, and having a say in decisions that affect them.
Education is a top priority for the ACT Government, with the ACT’s schools and vocational education and training providers helping our children and young people to reach their full potential.
The 2018 Budget further builds on this investment in the future of our children and young people by recruiting more teachers and providing better schools and learning opportunities. We will:
- Build a new P-6 School in Molonglo and undertake planning activities for a future 7-10 campus. The primary school will open to students in 2021 and deliver quality education in a modern facility for Molonglo’s growing student population.
- Recruit the equivalent of 66 more teachers and support staff over the next four years to meet growth across our local schools.
- Start implementing the Future of Education strategy that is informing the next 10 years of education in the ACT. This will include delivering the Government’s Great Teaching program and the Affiliated Schools Program to build on collaborations between schools and the University of Canberra.
- Recruit an additional 15 full-time psychologists to support student wellbeing and improve mental health outcomes for students, parents and carers, on top of five already recruited.
- Develop a comprehensive Early Childhood Strategy to promote accessibility and quality in the ACT’s early childhood education and care sector.
- Establish a Future Skills Academy with two hubs at University of Canberra Lake Ginninderra Secondary College and Chisholm High School to help ensure ACT public school students are prepared for the future workforce.
We are also working to ensure children and young Canberrans build strong connections to their families and communities and have access to the specialised supports they need for good health and wellbeing.
Through the 2018 Budget we will:
- Improve the adoption and permanency process to help vulnerable children find a stable home sooner.
- Establish an Assertive Outreach Program to treat young people aged 12-18 experiencing severe episodes of prevalent mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
- Provide more counsellors at headspace to deliver early intervention services and youth wellbeing programs.
- Establish an advice service for young and vulnerable workers to provide them with better information about their rights and protections at work.
