2026-05-27
Teachers, principals, school assistants and all our school-based staff have been propping up our public school system for decades - carrying a growing administrative burden on top of their primary role of educating and supporting students. A new report released by the ACT Government today confirms that the system is broken and big changes are needed.
Lines attributable to Greens Education Spokesperson, Laura Nuttall.
“In the most disappointing case of “I told you so”, the report released today confirms everything that public school workers, the union, parents, and students have been telling us for decades - the system is broken and it's failing both students and teachers.
“While I am pleased that the Government has agreed to 18 of the 25 recommendations and agreed in principle to the rest, it is deeply disappointing that meaningful reform has only come after years of warning signs.
“The delay of this acknowledgement and action has not come without struggle and burnout and I can really empathise with the frustration felt across the sector.
“This is just another example of this Government not listening to our teachers.
“Teachers and school-based staff have been telling us for decades that school-based autonomy isn’t working and that they are overwhelmed by increasing administrative tasks.
“While schools absolutely know their communities best, autonomy has too often led to duplicated processes and excessive paperwork, shifting administrative burdens onto already overstretched staff.
The report also highlights chronic underfunding of disability support and lack of support for First Nations students and students with English as an additional language.
“Families of children with a disability have had to work incredibly hard to access support through a complex and deficit-based system.
“A good public education system creates a place for every child; it should not be up to the child and their family to fight for their place within it. This must change.
“Despite the incredible work of educators on the ground, First Nations students continue to experience barriers to learning, and racism within our public school system.
“Similarly, students with English as an Additional Language or Dialect are also being short-changed. Funding available to them hasn’t kept pace with the growing number of students in our system, or with inflation.
“Public schools must be a place for every child, regardless of barriers or background and it is clear the current system is not delivering that.
“The Greens have continuously fought for our public education system and in 2024 put forward a range of solutions to address the very issues raised in this report.
“We are pleased that the ACT Government is finally recognising the issues and committing to take action and we welcome the provisional investment of $9.326 million.
“We would like to see the ACT Government take stronger action to seek increased funding from the Commonwealth Government, particularly to increase support for students with a disability.
“This report is a turning point for our public school system and I implore the ACT Government to ensure that recommendations are honoured and implemented well.
“We need genuine reform, proper resourcing, and real collaboration with educators and school based staff - because students, families and school staff simply cannot afford another decade of inaction,” said Ms Nuttall.
Statement ends.