Released 21/07/2022 - Joint media release

The ACT Government is committed to providing safe learning and working environments for all public school students and staff.

To ensure our public schools remain safe and supportive places, the ACT Government is establishing the Safe@School Taskforce. This taskforce will lead a system-wide transformation that will improve the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff.

The taskforce will be supported by an advisory group, comprising representatives from the Australian Education Union (ACT Branch), ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations, ACT Principals’ Association, ACT Policing, and work health and safety experts from the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.

Initially, the Safe@School Taskforce will coordinate a series of reviews across our public school system to provide a snapshot of how safety processes are operating. These reviews will then inform improved safety across all ACT public schools.

This investment will also deliver professional learning to support staff to proactively promote a safety culture and continue to respond to incidents.

This package, which will be included in the upcoming ACT Budget, also includes funding for the development of curriculum resources to support teachers in planning and workload management.

This work builds on the ACT Government’s nation-leading Occupational Violence Management Plan which we launched in 2017, and continued investment in preventing and responding to violence in schools since then.

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister, Andrew Barr:

This investment represents a redoubling of our efforts to ensure that, despite the challenges we face at the moment in many part of the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our public schools continue to be safe and supportive environments for staff and students.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Yvette Berry:

We know the last two years have been challenging for everybody, and our school communities have not been immune from the pressures of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and a nation-wide teacher shortage.

Thank you to all teachers, staff, principals, students and families across all ACT public schools for their resilience and support throughout 2022 as we continue to face and respond to these challenging times together.

- Statement ends -

Andrew Barr, MLA | Yvette Berry, MLA | Media Releases


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