ACT Parents says the ACT Public School System Resourcing Review has validated what parents and carers, educators and school leaders have been living for years: the ACT public school system is not resourced to consistently deliver the quality, equitable education experience our community expects.
"For a long time, families have been told the system is well-resourced and doing fine," ACT Parents Executive Officer Veronica Elliott said. "This report makes it clear that being 'ahead' of other jurisdictions on some measures does not mean we have what we need to deliver a consistently high-quality education experience across every school."
ACT Parents has repeatedly raised concerns about inequity across the system, the reality of "schools with and without", and the impact this has on student learning, inclusion and opportunity.
"Parents and carers have been raising the same problems for years: disrupted learning, inconsistent or non-existent supports, and inequitable access to opportunities depending on your postcode," Ms Elliott said. "Too often, those lived experiences have been dismissed or minimised. Today is a day where families should feel heard and validated."
ACT Parents also said the Review should be seen as recognition of the work of educators and school leaders, who have been trying to deliver public education against mounting pressures.
"Our teachers, school staff and principals have been carrying this system with relentless professionalism and care," Ms Elliott said. "The report recognises the strain and the inequities, but it also reflects what we see every day: staff doing everything they can, even when the system around them isn't fit for purpose."
ACT Parents welcomed the direction toward a more coordinated 'one public education system', noting this is a major reform agenda for the ACT.
"This is the most significant reform to ACT public education in decades, and it has to translate into real change for students in classrooms," Ms Elliott said.
"There is strong support for moving toward one system with clearer central responsibility and more consistent support to schools," Ms Elliott said. "If done well, this is an opportunity to tackle inequity at the root, not just patch problems school by school."
However, ACT Parents warned that acknowledging the problem is only the first step.
"This report is the starting line, not the finish line," Ms Elliott said. "Parents will be watching for practical change on the ground. Delivering for students means fewer disruptions to learning, consistent support for students with additional needs, and equitable opportunities no matter where a child lives," Ms Elliott said.
"One public education system will only work if the reform is guided by the experience of the people it serves, and if government is prepared to adjust course when the classroom reality doesn't match the policy intent," Ms Elliott said.
ACT Parents is calling on the ACT Government to act decisively on the Review's findings by investing in:
- investing in the workforce schools need, including relief capacity, learning support and specialist support
- making equity visible and measurable, so progress can be tracked and communities can see change
- strengthening central supports and accountability, so schools are enabled and supported to deliver rather than left to interpret and manage gaps alone
- delivering inclusion that works in practice, with the staffing, specialist expertise and classroom supports required so students with disability and additional needs can learn safely and consistently
- closing the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, through targeted investment and system accountability that improves outcomes and opportunity for First Nations students across the ACT
"This shouldn't be an impossible ask," Ms Elliott said. "It's the baseline expectation of public education: students learning every day, consistent support, and equitable opportunity, no matter where they live."
Published: 27 May 2026
