Ministerial Statement

SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND BULLYING

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (12:54): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Earlier this year I advised the house that Mr Bill Cossey AM, a former chief executive of the Courts Administration Authority and former acting chief executive of the Department of Education and Children's Services, would undertake an independent review of the circumstances of a violent incident at a northern suburbs school. As members would recall, that particular incident involved a savage attack on a student that had been filmed by another student and then posted to the internet in a manner calculated to cause further distress to the victim. The assailant in this case was immediately suspended and has subsequently been excluded by the school. The incident was also reported to the police and led to the assailant being charged with assault causing harm.

The seriousness of this incident prompted questions about the application of anti-bullying policies in this case and the effectiveness of incident management procedures, particularly the reporting relationships between schools, the education department and police. These matters were the focus of Mr Cossey's review.

I can advise the house that Mr Cossey has handed down his report and I have today released the report and the government's response to its findings. The report makes 14 recommendations which provide for:

strengthened procedures where incidents of violence occur, both to ensure parents are involved at an early stage and that there is proper reporting to and involvement of police;

a strengthened role for the existing Coalition to Decrease Bullying, Harassment and Violence in South Australian Schools; and

raising the profile of bullying policies in schools and monitoring bullying behaviour.

I can advise the house that the government supports each of the recommendations made in the report, with a series of changes to be made between now and the start of the next school year. A copy of the report and of the government's response to the report will be available on the education department's website.

Mr Cossey also identified a further six broader policy issues for further consideration, including an improved approach to handling parent complaints. In respect of this particular issue, I can advise the house that we will introduce a new approach to responding to parents' concerns, which will include clearer guidance for parents about processes, dedicated support for parents during the grievance process, a complaints resolution unit and a panel process for review of decisions. This will ensure that parents have greater confidence that their concerns will be fairly addressed.

Although there is clearly more work to be done, particularly in light of the rapid growth in social media and its use in bullying behaviours, the report has also indicated that existing anti-bullying measures are having a positive effect. Research evidence reviewed by Mr Cossey indicated that Australian schools are amongst the safest in the world and that the incidence of bullying in South Australian schools is lower than in schools interstate. The review processes also identified examples where relations between schools and police were strong and responsive and helped build a school environment focused on the prevention of incidents.

I am advised that the student who was assaulted in the incident that prompted Mr Cossey's review has positively re-engaged with school and has achieved well in both maths and English. That he has done so is a credit to him and his family.

When bullying and violence are brought into our schools, our schools have an obligation to deal decisively and assertively with them, for the benefit of the students involved and to ensure community confidence in our schools is maintained. By acting on Mr Cossey's recommendations, the government will continue to work with our schools to help change the attitudes that fuel bullying behaviours, teach students that bullying and aggression are not acceptable behaviours and support every student to focus on their learning.

[Sitting suspended from 12:58 to 14:00]