Education System

Mr PISONI (Unley) (17:33): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Congratulations, minister: I look forward to a long and productive professional relationship. Why is South Australia the only state that still teaches grade 7 in primary school?

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is called to order. Minister.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for the Public Sector) (17:34): Thank you, sir, and thank you for the assistance from just behind me. The question of where year 7 belongs is, of course, a vexed one and there has been a reasonable amount of debate across Australia, and I appreciate that other states have chosen to put it into high school. The challenge I have in agreeing with that is we know how much that would cost. We know not only the teaching costs associated but also the very significant capital costs that would be associated—and, no doubt, the closure of some very small schools where the fact that there are some year 7s there enables them to stay open.

So we can see the amount of expenditure that would be required to make that transition. What we don't see is any evidence that there is any great advantage to the students. We know that the Australian curriculum was designed for both primary school and high school grade 7.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: So we know that the capability of teaching at both levels is suitable. I have gone to a lot of school graduations in the last three years, being a member of parliament, and I know that year 7 is that year where children can vary I suspect more than at any other time. You see boys aged 12 who are still little kids and you see boys aged 12 who are like grown men. That is, I suspect, part of why there is such a challenging debate about where year 7 belongs—because it is a transition year.

The balance at this stage, in my view, is that you don't waste state expenditure that could be put into other and better purposes for education, and that you wait to see what kind of educational evidence there is that would be so overwhelming that it would challenge that decision.

Mr PISONI: I have a supplementary question, if I may.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert has fallen under a very bad influence since he has shifted. Yes, there is a supplementary question.