Kangaroo Island Community Education

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:40): I want to raise in the house some matters that came out of some recent forums over on Kangaroo Island conducted by the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island, Wendy Campana. Members may recall that, two or three years ago, there was a document put out, a shiny glossy, called Paradise Girt By Sea. This has now been followed up by a document written by Mr Belchamber which came out in May this year called Kangaroo Island First, and there are a considerable number of things in there that will receive a bit of discussion and comment over the next few years.

What particularly incensed me was page 25 of the document where still, and again, they are seeking to criticise education on Kangaroo Island. Let me quote from the document:

In an effort to advance integration of the island's education training delivery meetings were convened between the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority (KIFA) board and senior officers and staff from Kangaroo Island Community Education (KICE). These meetings were unsuccessful. The failure to make progress is to the detriment of the island community, especially those not at school but wishing to further their knowledge and qualifications.

Well, I have never heard such a load of codswallop in all my born days. It is a blatant lie, it is a blatant untruth, and those responsible for writing that should be hung out to dry in my view. I might add that, to the best of my knowledge, the former CEO of KIFA and those who followed, and those members of KIFA, did little or nothing except criticise education when they knew not much about it.

A model of KICE as the deliverer of all education and training on the island from cradle to the grave was put forward, but due to the infrastructure facilities and resources that they had that vision has not really got off the ground to some extent, but it could have if KIFA and subsequently the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island liked to work with the schools over there—or the one school, the three campuses. As it is happening now KICE is proceeding on its own and will realise that vision within the next 12 months.

To insinuate that education and training are letting the people of Kangaroo Island down is not supported by any facts or data. In 2014 KICE achieved excellent year 12 results. Not only did all eligible students achieve the SACE but there were 32 A grades achieved in the cohort, which is an outstanding effort. Of the remaining grades achieved there were 63 B grades, 32 C grades, with no D or E grades. This equates to 75 per cent of grades being As or Bs, which is quite remarkable and a tribute to education on the island.

In the compulsory research project subject KICE achieved its best result to date with nine students achieving A grades—hardly a failure of education on Kangaroo Island. All students seeking Australian Tertiary Admission (ATAR) received one, and all students seeking a TAFE entry score received one. There were seven students with ATARs over 90 for university entry with some excellent statistic.

Sitting alongside these excellent grades are outstanding VET (vocational education training) results, which are not graded but which still contribute to the SACE, and a full certificate III completion can contribute to the ATAR and university entry. Also, 12 students completed a full VET certificate III qualification, seven students completed a full VET certificate II qualification, and there are 18 other students involved in ongoing school-based apprenticeships/traineeships.

Many students over there moved from their VET programs at KICE to full-time apprenticeships. In addition, KICE has been a finalist in the education sector of the Brand SA Regional Awards for the past three years, being a winner in 2013 for its delivery of eight VET programs. In 2015 the chair of the Training and Skills Commission, Mr Adrian Smith, stated to the Kangaroo Island Commission and others that KICE had the best VET and schools program in the state and quite possibly one of the best in the nation.

Most sensible people know that you build on success, not denigrate it, as the KIFA future papers have said. That leads me to suggest that there has been some misinformation and a degree of complete stupidness undertaken by KIFA in putting out that report. Fortunately, I have discussed this matter with Ms Campana, and I think she has a completely different view of education on the island than what she did. I think she was fed a crock of nonsense.

Time expired.