SCHOOL AMALGAMATIONS

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Why did the minister spend $375,000 on review panels only to ignore their recommendations and force the amalgamations of all 42 schools?

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Education.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (15:06): I thank the member for Unley for this important question. The engagement and the creation of these review committees has been a very, very important exercise. It has also been one—

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta, leave the chamber until the end of question time.

The honourable member for Morialta having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: It is also one that is mandated by the Education Act. I thank all of those members of the review committees. There is a diversity of opinion represented in those review committees. I have considered all of those review reports and taken advice. I have met with leaders, I have met with school communities and I have visited many, many sites, and I believe that this is the right decision. I also acknowledge that this is a difficult decision for some school communities because this will involve some change.

But what we need to be honest about is the undeniable fact that what this government flagged a year and a half ago, and what we have been working on for that period of time, has been reflected in our funding arrangements—these 48 schools are effectively operating on one site, they are co-located, they are on the same site, they are effectively operating as one site but attracting, because of their status, two base grants. I do not think that is fair to the 339 reception to year 7 schools that deliver outstanding programs. I have to say that that is the function of government, that is the function of leadership, and I think this is the right decision.