EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about how the state government is assisting early childhood service providers?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:16): It is my great pleasure to answer a question from the member for Port Adelaide—asked in more dulcet tones than, perhaps, the former member for Port Adelaide.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Waite will behave.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The member for Port Adelaide is very familiar with the question of early childhood because she is engaged in raising two young children herself, and I know this is a particular passion of hers.

There is a growing body of evidence that tells us that early experiences and influences in life have profound implications for the rest of a child's not only learning but their health trajectory and wellbeing. The quality of those early years and their experiences will not only shape their future but also the future of our state and our capacities here. In my view, it is not only an important issue in terms of the quality of those individuals, it is a great social justice issue that confronts us. We see so many broken lives where, if you look back at the experience of the early years, you can see precisely how the chain of events was put into place.

This is why we are putting in place structures and programs to position early childhood education and care at the centre of our thinking, with a new Department of Education and Child Development. It was one of the key seven priorities that we outlined in the Governor's speech. It is why we are building 10 new children's centres to bring together all of the elements that bear on the lives of children within the first period of their lives.

Today I am pleased to announce that Professor Carla Rinaldi, a world-leading expert in the Reggio Emilia approach and early childhood education, will be Adelaide's newest Thinker in Residence. The Reggio Emilia approach has long been heralded as one of the most influential approaches to early childhood education. Back in 1991, Newsweek recognised one of the Reggio Emilia schools (the Diana School in Reggio Emilia) as the best school in the world for its promotion of creativity in young children and one of the top 10 of those schools, but certainly the only preschool on the list.

The Reggio Emilia approach puts children at the centre of the development of how they learn. It recognises that children's experiences influence their learning. My vision for the education system is that I want the high school system to be more like the primary school system and I want the primary school system to be more like our preschool system, where we involve parents, where we have children and their inquiries at the centre of their learning. We have a fine tradition in this state in early childhood education. We certainly lead the nation. We have put—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We certainly put more resources into early childhood education than any other state, and I think the outcomes are there to look at. I think our society has been very favourably shaped by the quality of our early childhood education. What we enjoy in terms of the creativity of our citizens who succeed not only here but also around the world owes very much to the base that we put in place in this state in those early years.

This must be something that we can reach agreement about. You would have thought, if there is one thing that we could reach agreement about, it might be the importance of the early years.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right, motherhood. Could we reach agreement about—

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. The member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: That is four minutes, Madam Speaker. I thought the Premier might lead by example.

The SPEAKER: There is no standing order as yet, or sessional order. There is no point of order. Sit down. Premier.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, you are warned!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Madam Speaker, I am more than happy to end now if the members don't want to hear any more.