Countering Violent Extremism Program

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:01): Supplementary to the Minister for Education: given the Minister for Social Inclusion's answer, which doesn't include any identification of students in the education system in South Australia, can you tell the parliament if there's any evidence of that and what action your department is taking about it?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for the Public Sector) (15:01): There is no evidence that has come to my attention that we have an active and live problem with radicalisation of young people—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —in our schools.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned for persistent interjection.

Mr Goldsworthy: We're asking sensible questions.

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is warned for the second and the final time. Minister.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Mr Speaker, while that is the case, and while other ministers are taking a lead across Australia in the collective response to this question, it has been an issue that has been discussed previously and will be discussed again at the education ministerial council meetings. There was an effort by the federal government in the education area around the middle of the year to produce a document that purportedly would deal with this issue. It included exhortations to be concerned about children listening to rock music and who might take up an interest in environmental matters, from my recollection, and it did not appear to me to be particularly useful or to be hitting the mark.

However, we have as a ministerial council continued to take an interest in this matter and, as I say, it remains something that will be coming back to us in terms of producing material and support for teachers and other educators in our education system that might more helpfully either identify problems or indeed tackle them before they happen. My view is that, while I am absolutely interested and committed to that discussion continuing and to useful material being produced, what's most important is that we have an education system that teaches our children the value of diversity, the very great gifts that we had in the Enlightenment about allowing others to have other points of view, about celebrating diversity within a common shared sense of values. I believe we do that well in the education system, and from that perspective I think we've done that well for a long time.

More recently, there have been moves to introduce curriculum that is aimed at respectful relationships. As we know, the challenge of domestic violence, of family violence and of violent extremism are all part of the continuum of how we treat each other. The fact that we are increasingly having really good efforts in that curriculum and in the support that's offered through the schooling system gives me cause to think that we are acting responsibly and rationally. However, as I say, it remains part of our Education Council ministers agendum, and we will see where we can take some more specific resources that might be useful.