The peak body for Canberra's public school parents has argued the ACT government's focus on inequity in education threatens to disadvantage well-off and talented students.
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Education Minister Yvette Berry launched the Future of Education community conversation in early May with the aim to address inequities in Canberra's school system.
ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association president John Haydon said he felt the scope of the conversation was too narrow and called for a broader examination of how Canberra schools could improve outcomes for everyone.
Not all students and families placed the same emphasis on education, he said, questioning whether the government's focus was "a bit middle class and proscriptive".
"The values that we've got, that kids should be successful through their schooling, get good marks, that may not be the values that all cultures and all families and all students share," he said.
"They might grow up to be fabulous rock musicians or something and they might be very successful in their own terms.
"They might actually end up being what we'd regard as not successful. They might be working on the roads, but that might be what they want and they might have a very happy life doing that.
"I'm worried that if there's too much of a focus on kids who have some sort of disadvantage - an inappropriate level of focus on that to the exclusion of everything else - which is sort of the impression I got at the first session, then that is potentially negative for the kids that don't have a disadvantage."
The majority of disadvantaged students are enrolled in the ACT's public system. According to the 2017 School Census, 80 per cent of indigenous students and 70 per cent of special education students attend government schools.
As well, data compiled last year by public education lobby group Save Our Schools revealed more than one-quarter of Year 9 students whose parents were classed "low educated" did not achieve the writing standard in NAPLAN.
About 20 per cent did not achieve the spelling and grammar and punctuation standards and between 14 and 15 per cent did not achieve the reading and numeracy standards.
A report released by the Auditor-General this week found that ACT public schools did not fare well in NAPLAN testing when compared with similar schools interstate. Results were worse in low SES schools than higher SES schools.
Ms Berry, in response to Mr Haydon's comments, said the Future of Education consultation process had been so far positive.
"It's good to see Mr Haydon engaging with this important work and the things he has raised are part of conversations I am already having with students, parents, principals, teachers, educators and other community leaders," Ms Berry said.
"We know that the best education systems succeed by embracing equity and I've been really happy with the positive response to this direction as I've chatted with the people who know our children and schools the best."
Non-government education bodies have welcomed the discussions, which will continue until the end of the year.
Catholic Education Office Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn director Ross Fox said: "In Catholic education we welcome the conversation because I think it is so important our schools, our early learning centres, our preschools are providing great opportunities for everyone."
