INVERBRACKIE DETENTION FACILITY

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister advise the house about how the children from the Inverbrackie Detention Facility are being received in their new schools?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for her question and acknowledge her interest in public schooling, but also, in particular, in relation to young people who come from other countries.

These particular young people come from countries that have suffered through some terrible hardships. Last week I had the opportunity to visit Woodside Primary School, Uraidla Primary School and Oakbank Area School. These three schools, together with Heathfield primary, Bridgewater primary and Heathfield high schools, and with the support of the education department and the commonwealth, are now taking on the responsibility of educating more than 70 children of detainees housed at the Inverbrackie Detention Facility.

Today, I am very pleased to advise the house that the principals, the governing council representatives, and the staff at each of the schools I have visited have universally confirmed that all of the young people are settling in very well. In fact, the comments to me were that not only were the students fitting in very well in the school community but also their enthusiasm for learning is adding something to the schools they are now part of.

Much of this can be traced to the preparation by these school communities that has occurred. I think the department made a sensible decision to involve a number of the school communities. Also, on behalf of schools in the region, Woodside Primary School coordinated over 200 'shoeboxes of welcome' containing small gifts to help the Inverbrackie families to settle into their new surroundings. These gifts were delivered by Woodside Primary School principal, John Balnaves, and students on Christmas Eve.

I also distinctly remember the spirit of generosity with which the teaching staff at Oakbank Area School welcomed these young people. Back in November, they passed a unanimous resolution saying they are welcome here and made sure that I had that last year before they came into the school.

I went to Uraidla Primary School where 78 parents and children of detainees, and the existing school community, recently attended a very successful familiarisation meeting that allowed detainee parents to visit the child's school. I was also pleased to conduct that visit together with the member for Bragg, who showed her warm side at the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I know she goes to great lengths to conceal it, but there is a warm side, and I saw it on display.

An honourable member: She is full of love.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: She is, and I must say that she made a real connection with the students there and it was a lovely visit. The work of the principal, James Parkin, and the governing council led by chair, Ben Hopkins, couldn't have been more pleased and, indeed, their school community had been asking their principal if he could find ways of connecting with the world because, the truth is, Uraidla, a lovely place it is, is a very white bread school. So, the school community was looking at ways in which they could internationalise themselves and, so, they feel the world has come to them in a way that they've welcomed and see great value in.

The Inverbrackie students are now participating in the daily life of their new schools, giving presentations to their class and assemblies, and they are enriching the learning experience for all students. I was particularly moved at the Oakbank Area School where we had two primary school aged Inverbrackie students who rehearsed, for me, their speech for the school assembly, and their accounts of growing up amidst bombing, shelling and shooting made a deep impression on me. It was done in such a matter of fact way, but the resilience of these young children, to be able to overcome that, is something wonderful to watch.

I think it says something about our public schools as institutions with a capacity for fostering goodwill, understanding, compassion, social responsibility and respect for others, that they were amongst the first in our community to respond so constructively to the news regarding the Inverbrackie facility. It has been a difficult period of uncertainty and apprehension for the community, but it is great to see the way in which the community has reached out and made these students so welcome.

I want to acknowledge all of those teachers who have taken steps to make the environment a welcoming one and, in particular, I would like to thank the principals and governing council representatives of the schools I visited: John Balnaves and Vaughn Farmilo of Woodside; Steve Adams and Andrew Sinnott at Oakbank; James Parkin and Ben Hopkins at Uraidla; and all the other members of the schools who are contributing to supporting the Inverbrackie children.