JOHN HARTLEY SCHOOL

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (15:09): Madam Speaker, my question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We have got one minute left of question time. We will do it in silence. Member for Light.

Mr PICCOLO: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Education.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order: he is not doing it in silence.

The SPEAKER: That's a frivolous point of order, and I should throw you out! Member for Light.

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sit down, Minister for Police!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Light.

Mr PICCOLO: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister for Transport, be quiet!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sit down, member for Light. I think we will call this question time to a halt. Are we going to have silence? Member for Light, ask your question.

Mr PICCOLO: My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister advise the house about the recent formal opening of the new John Hartley School within my electorate?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his question and note that he has had a deep involvement with John Hartley School and has attended the school on a number of occasions, including with me. He has also been invited to join as a member of the governing council, so he has had an extraordinarily close relationship with the school. I know that he is incredibly proud of what we have achieved at the John Hartley Birth to 7 School.

It opened its doors towards the end of last year. It is one of four of our six brand-new schools which have opened, part of the $200 million project to build six brand-new schools in the northern and western suburbs of Adelaide.

Last Thursday I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the formal opening of the school. It was a wonderful event, with students, staff and parents who are all incredibly excited about what the school has to offer. Indeed, enrolments are up from around 380 when it opened to almost 500 just a term later; so, people are voting with their feet and are enrolling in this school because of its state-of-the-art facilities.

Students are able to learn in a range of quality learning spaces, including outdoor learning commons situated in each building, a resource centre, a science centre, a health and science area and, in keeping with the school's art focus, an art space adjoining the school hall, which allows easy movement between the two.

There is an incredibly impressive range of physical education facilities, including a hall, tennis courts, cricket and soccer pitches. There is a kitchen area and kitchen garden for students to learn the science of food preparation, healthy nutrition, and planting and caring for the vegetable garden. Throughout the school there is a fantastic focus on new technology. All learning areas have interactive whiteboards. Each years 6 and 7 student has a laptop, and there is easy access to computers for students right from reception to year 5.

Thursday's opening was about the school community. They designed the opening. It was run by students, and it was an incredibly impressive and, I must say, moving event. Every parent that you spoke to was proud of the decision they had taken. They made this choice, and it is a big choice to bring together an amalgamated number of schools. For those of them who had concerns at the beginning, they all now believe that they have made the right decision.

I want to pay tribute to the leaders in the school community, in particular the principal, Aiva Ositis, and the chair of the governing council, Cathy Lee. The school community has, I think, excelled itself in what is an extraordinarily big enterprise to start a new school. The school students look wonderful in their new uniforms. They sang beautifully to the assembled guests, and it was a wonderful celebration of a fantastic new school.