EDUCATION, ADULT RE-ENTRY

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:36): My question is for the Minister for Education. Will TAFE be an option for students over the age of 21 to complete their South Australian Certificate of Education?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (14:37): I remember that we have the member for Unley, the shadow minister for education, running around spreading misinformation about the savings initiative concerning adult re-entry. One of them is the one he is seeking to perpetuate now: that somehow we are suggesting that TAFE is the answer for these students who are seeking to re-enter to complete their high school. It has never been said and it is not the case that we are seeking to direct all of the students who may be seeking to find alternatives to the adult re-entry campuses into the TAFE system. That has never been said at any stage.

I must say, it is a little rich for those opposite to be feigning interest in how our adults get another chance at high school when they were responsible, when they were in government, for a school retention rate of 67.2 per cent—falling to its lowest ebb in 15 years. Here they are feigning interest in people completing their high school—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Exactly; feigning interest in people completing high school, yet they presided over some of the lowest school retention rates we have seen for 15 years. They are now up to a 15-year high of 79.5 per cent, giving young people the best possible chance of getting their high school completion by—

Mr WILLIAMS: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Not only is the minister debating his answer but he is not answering the question which was about whether late-entry students or students completing their SACE can do it at TAFE.

The SPEAKER: I will listen very carefully to the minister's answer, but he can answer in the way he chooses, and I am sure he is getting to the point.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I am. What we have is a number of adults, those under 21, who will continue to be able to complete their SACE in the adult re-entry campuses. We also have another category of young adults, those who are over 21 years of age and who fall into the category of having some disadvantage, so categories of refugees, people with disabilities, single mothers or others, who, for some particular reason, were unable to complete their schooling. There will be arrangements made for those young adults to complete—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: If they are under the age of 21, they get there as a right; over the age of 21, for those who fall into those categories, they will still have access to complete their high schooling.

An honourable member: Where?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: At adult re-entry campuses. There is another category of young adults: those who are seeking to upgrade their skills in the areas that are covered by the 100,000 new training positions over six years that the state government has announced—an extra $194 million. If those young people can find a particular skill that fits within those priority skills that have been announced by the government, then they will have access to support from the government to get that training.

We are asking in these arrangements, for those people who perhaps have left school without completing their high school and who, after having perhaps been in employment, are wanting to upgrade their skills, to make a contribution and fund that themselves. There are a range of registered training providers that can provide that, but they will be asked to make a contribution to that. Further, there are a group of people who presently use our adult re-entry system as a form of further adult education, such as University of the Third Age.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, the honourable member opposite calls it basket weaving. I mean, there are a range of programs which are worthy. They are things which are of the nature of WEA courses, or University of the Third Age courses, which are undertaken at adult re-entry campuses by people who are wanting to do something which may benefit them.

We say that that is not the province of our education system. We should prioritise our education system on those young people who are completing their education, or those young adults who have missed out and want a second chance. So, that is what we are ensuring that our education system is for—those young people seeking to complete their education, or those young adults who are seeking a second chance. It is not meant to be a system that provides for a University of the Third Age, or indeed a WEA campus. We are focusing on our priorities. There are other options for those people. We are not leaving those people behind; there are other options for them.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!