Grievance Debate

KANGAROO ISLAND COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:23): A few minutes ago I asked a question of the Minister for Education. I have a copy of a letter sent to Mr Ian Kent, Principal of Kangaroo Island Community Education (KICE), from Mr Chris Robinson, former CEO of DECS, confirming supplementary funding of $159,500 on an annual basis from the period 2009-13. The three schools—now one—have a chequered history of financial problems over the years and, in 2009, were technically insolvent.

KICE is a unique three-campus school that was formed to create efficiencies, be more effective in the delivery of the curriculum and enhance student outcomes. There have been two reviews into education on Kangaroo Island. The most recent, in 2007-08, recommended that the current leadership and multicampus model be maintained, with a principal at a PCO8 level overseeing the three campuses.

An agreement was reached with DECS that supplementary funding would be provided to employ a principal for a period of five years. This supplementary funding was vital for the governing council to attract and employ a principal, restructure the operation, create efficiencies, sort out the finance, and build on the capacity within the staff and community to provide better educational opportunities and outcomes for students.

The governing council was fortunate enough to attract a very experienced and committed principal, who has worked in an open and transparent way with the council, the staff, students and wider community to do that. The Speaker herself can attest to the skills and abilities of that principal, Mr Ian Kent, as he was principal of Stuart High School, and took that from one of the worst schools around to become one of the highest performing, best practice schools in the state.

Since taking up his appointment in 2009, Mr Kent has done an amazing job as an educational leader. After many years of financial problems, the school finally has a budget that is moving towards financial solvency and a financial management policy that is understood, and the governing council has confidence in the processes and procedures in place to maintain and slowly improve its financial position so that it can deliver a curriculum that meets the needs of all children on Kangaroo Island. The governing council has worked with the principal on meeting the target, as per the agreement with DECS, to operate under the same model without the supplementation by the beginning of 2014.

The whole school community, over the three campuses, has taken ownership of education on the island due to the strong partnership between the governing council and the principal. However, over the years a culture of mistrust has built up between DECS and the school due to red tape and a lack of communication with the bureaucrats in Flinders Street. The school has listened to the rhetoric and the promises, but unfortunately this government and DECS have let it down time and time again.

This latest decision, without any consultation, is another broken promise. How can this government or DECS be trusted? The principal has worked with everyone to build a more positive relationship between DECS and KICE; unfortunately, the latest decision by the minister and DECS to terminate this agreement for funding has left people in my electorate feeling absolutely betrayed and wondering what on earth can be done when a CEO gets slotted and another one, put in an acting position, betrays contracts.

As the principal has tenure for the period of the agreed supplementation funding (until 2013) he still has to be paid, and if the minister withdraws this funding where does the money come from? There is no flexibility in their budget at this time to cover the shortfall, despite what bureaucrats in DECS say. The school is working with DECS finance personnel to meet the expectation of covering this supplementation in 2014, as per the original agreement. The agreement must be honoured, as it will be the children who suffer once again—this time on Kangaroo Island—as they have done in the past due to broken promises, red tape, poor communication and a lack of understanding of the complexities and costs associated with living on Kangaroo Island.

The chairman of the governing council for the island, Mr Mark Griffiths, spoke to me at length over the weekend on this matter. They are worried sick about it. There was an agreement put in place that the school would be funded until 2013, by which time they were hoping to be able to absorb this cost into their budget. It was a basket case. Mr. Kent turned it around. Mr. Griffiths and the governing council want it fixed; they want that to remain in place. Mr DeGennaro and his cohorts had better get their act into gear and review this foolish, stupid decision and let education on Kangaroo Island proceed normally as it should.

The member for Reynell was herself over there several years ago as part of a plan to put this in place. As I recall she got an earful at a meeting at Parndana and disappeared without trace, but she knows what had to happen. It was put in place and it is working, but it will only work if the government continues the funding to maintain Mr Kent's position and if these bloody-minded bureaucrats in Flinders Street get their act together about what they are really meant to do and stay in touch with the community through agreements that were put in place by the former CEO of DECS, Mr Chris Robinson.