House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time School Enrolments SCHOOL ENROLMENTS Mr PISONI House of Assembly Unley SCHOOL ENROLMENTS Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister explain why today's ABS figures confirm that South Australia has seen the largest drop-off in public school enrolments of all mainland states since 2002 while over the same period there has been a growth of nearly 20 per cent in private school enrolments? The Hon. J.M. RANKINE House of Assembly Wright Minister for Education and Child Development Minister for Multicultural Affairs SCHOOL ENROLMENTS The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:10): I thank the member for Unley for his question. I am really happy to answer this and to also point out that the ABS statistics show that South Australia had the highest retention rate in the nation for Aboriginal students; so that's a big tick for South Australia. Parents are— Mr Pisoni interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the second time. The Hon. J.M. RANKINE House of Assembly The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Parents are entitled to make the choice of whether they send their children to public schools or private schools. There was, as I understand it, a small drift to the private sector in the last financial year—in percentage terms. However, I am advised that there were almost 600 more students attending public schools in 2012 than in 2011; so, in fact, we have got more students going to public schools, not less. Ms Chapman interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education will be seated. The deputy leader is testing my patience. She says that she is going; that would be a very good thing. Minister for Education. The Hon. J.M. RANKINE House of Assembly The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, sir, she tests my patience every day, but never mind. As I said, there was an additional 600 students in 2012 than in 2011. That is in stark contrast to the haemorrhage of public schools in the years from 2001 to 2002 when 3,000 students left public schools.