World Teachers' Day

Ms COOK (Fisher) (11:47): I move:

That this house—

(a) celebrates World Teachers' Day held annually on 5 October; and

(b) acknowledges the vital and inspirational role that teachers play in providing quality education in a range of settings and to a diverse range of community members.

I move today to celebrate the incredibly important role that teachers play in each of our lives and, indeed, the lives of every South Australian. We each have fond memories of those teachers from our own schooling who inspired and drove us to further ourselves, to try new things and to grow and to learn. Of course, many of us in this place and beyond also have children in school and younger relatives and dear friends with children. My little son, Sid, will soon begin his school journey when he starts reception in 2018. We are so excited for him. I know the critical influence teachers will have on his life as he continues to grow into a young man, challenging him and inspiring him.

Of course, we cannot forget the many teachers whom each day in this place we represent. Teachers are often held to a higher standard. They are asked to do more with less and are tasked with caring for others as their lifelong vocation. World Teachers' Day helps to celebrate the important role that our teachers play in the community. However, we cannot forget that teachers are people first. Teachers have their own families, their own commitments and their own problems. Unlike many of us, certainly in this place, we ask teachers to put aside all of this and focus on delivering the best possible education to every South Australian child.

We are all indebted to the teachers in our schools, teachers in our state—from Adelaide High to as far away as Coober Pedy Area School, Oodnadatta Aboriginal School and the Anangu schools on the Aboriginal lands, teachers in schools supporting those living with a disability and also living with social disadvantage, as well as teachers in schools specialising in music, STEM, trades, training and vocational education—to every teacher in every classroom.

We celebrate World Teachers' Day this 5 October in recognition of the special intergovernmental UNESCO conference of 1966, which saw the joint signing of the UNESCO and International Labour Organisation recommendation concerning the status of teachers. The recommendation outlined the important rights and responsibilities of teachers and is celebrated in over 100 nations. The 1966 acceptance of this recommendation is now considered a critical set of guidelines in promoting the status of teachers as gatekeepers of quality education.

As well as schools, I know that a number of organisations and institutions will be participating in World Teachers' Day celebrations, and I congratulate the University of South Australia, Flinders and Adelaide universities and the World Education Forum on promoting and rewarding excellence in teaching across South Australia.

I am continually in awe of the commitment and dedication of teachers from across my local community. Bear with me while I mention all of the schools in my area, including Aberfoyle Park R-7; Aberfoyle Park High School; Clarendon Primary School; Southern Vales Christian College; Coorara Primary School; Reynella East College CPC-12; Wirreanda Secondary School; Reynella Primary School; Morphett Vale East Primary School; Pimpala Primary School; Happy Valley Primary School; Braeview Primary School R-7 and Our Saviour Lutheran School.

There is also Sunrise Christian School; Prescott College Southern; Emmaus and Antonio Catholic schools; the campus school, a unique set-up, with three different schools on the one campus, being School of the Nativity, Pilgrim School and Thiele Primary School; and, of course, Woodcraft Primary School, which yesterday celebrated its 25^th anniversary. It was a fantastic event where I was privileged to cut the cake with principal Kristian Mundy, our Mayor of Onkaparinga, Lorraine Rosenberg, and old scholar-cum-Paralympic gold medallist, Brayden Davidson.

I take great joy in attending governing council meetings and community gatherings to hear firsthand of the work our teachers are investing in the young people of our community. Recently, Craigburn Primary School, celebrating Do It In A Dress day, have found themselves on the receiving end of some open criticism by Senator Cory Bernardi and then raised over $275,000 for young girls in Africa so that they receive a better life through schooling. It is a fantastic achievement, and I thank those at Craigburn Primary School for their efforts, particularly the students, who, with this initiative of student voice, came up with the idea to raise some money—$900 I think was their target—for young children in Africa so that they have a better chance at life. A fantastic idea.

I would also like to thank the teachers who influenced my life in one way or another. Flaxmill Primary School and Mitcham Girls High School were the two schools I attended. I feel very lucky to have attended these excellent public schools, and I also feel very lucky to have had such a consistent and uninterrupted schooling through attending just two schools: one primary and one high school. Many young people in our community are not so fortunate.

As Malala Yousafzai is quoted as saying, 'One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.' Here today, I would like to thank the teachers of South Australia, as the arbiters of knowledge and the gatekeepers of wisdom, and more broadly teachers across our world for the wonderful job they do day in day out and to dedicate World Teachers' Day to them. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (11:53): I rise today to speak on the motion put forward to celebrate World Teachers' Day, which is held annually on 5 October. Obviously, teachers play an extremely important role in our communities, educating our future generations and being vital contributors to society. Educators frequently share that teaching is the most difficult job that anyone can have but that it is also the most rewarding.

I guess if I reflect back to only a couple of years ago, when I was at school, it was just a great experience, meeting friends for life; it is also the influence that particularly some teachers have on a student's life that follows you for the rest of your days. I attended Paringa Park Primary School at North Brighton—a great school—and then I attended Henley High—another great school. They presented many opportunities to me.

I reflect on what one of my teachers, Roger Rowe, my tech teacher at Henley High, said to me when I am speaking to school students. He was a great mentor to me, not only at school but outside of school, and what he gave me still resonates in some of my values today. We talked often about life after school and he always prompted me to think and have a vision for when I had left school, and that is something I always did. But one day he came to me and said, 'It's time, Tim,' and he gave me a reference and off I went. I applied for an apprenticeship at GMH, got the apprenticeship and never looked back.

Leaving school was probably one of the greatest days of my life, because not only had I received a great education and some great life skills but I had taken the next step in life and that was to move away from school into the workforce. Unfortunately, there are many teachers who do not receive the support they need and deserve here in South Australia. In the electorate of Chaffey, I have over 50 schools—schools, kindergartens, preschools, learning institutions—and I have almost finished the full round.

It has taken quite some effort and time, but it is one of the great rewarding jobs as an MP to visit schools, talk to the students, meet the teachers and look at what the community means to those schools. I will reflect on regional schools, because regional schools are the social epicentre of those towns not just of the schooling community, and a lot of the social experiences in small regional towns occur in regional schools, whether it be fetes or sports days or parent-and-student days. There are many reasons for a school to be a cultural centre, socially and in terms of sports and learning.

It is also about the feedback that the school gives you and your family; it gives you guidance. Life is really about guidance and being educated. It is also about being able to know what the timing of life is about, and life is all about timing and whether you make the right decision or the wrong decision at the right time or the wrong time. Teachers have given me over time some great maxims. For example, if you make the right decision, it is a great decision; if you make the wrong decision, don't do it again. They are some of the great lessons that I learnt at school and they are some of the great conversations that I have had in schools that I visit in my great electorate of Chaffey.

World Teachers' Day was inaugurated on 5 October 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to commemorate the 1966 joint signing of the UNESCO International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendation concerning the status of teachers. Celebrated in over 100 countries, World Teachers' Day acknowledges the efforts of teachers in an increasingly complex, multicultural and technological society. It is a day on which students, parents and community members can demonstrate their appreciation for the contributions that teachers have made to their community.

In the Riverland and the Mallee, we are constantly recognised in the SA Excellence in Public Education Awards. For example, last year Gale Hansen from the Renmark Children's Centre and Rebecca Smitran from Waikerie High School were finalists in the leadership category. Andrea Lindner from Renmark Primary School was recognised in the primary school teaching category. Karley Anderson from Riverland Special School was a finalist in the support staff category.

One of the major issues raised by the schools in this electorate is the number of permanent positions. I think that resonates in every school I have visited in recent times. Teachers are looking for permanency, and they are looking for a base. In some instances, teachers do travel from the city out into regional centres so that they can potentially qualify for permanency. One of the great things that I have picked up in a lot of country schools, particularly in Chaffey, is that we have local schoolkids who have gone away and got their qualifications and have come back. I think it is a great attribute that we have locals teaching locals.

We have locals who have come home to teach students—in many cases, to teach their friends' kids, to teach their neighbours' kids and to teach those community kids. It warms the cockles of my heart to think that we have that opportunity for kids to be taught by locals who come home and make a great contribution. I recently worked with a local school in Loxton regarding this. When I raised the issue about permanency, I was informed that in 2016 in the Riverland, there were 332 teachers with permanency, 74 permanent teacher employees and 118 were temporary.

It shows that the Riverland is above the average for permanency (73 per cent) but the state government's teaching permanency target is 87 per cent, so there is still a way to go, but it is great to see. Permanency gives some credibility and stability in regional centres. I have had, I think, four schools in my electorate close over a number of years. It is sad to see that some of those schools are closing, but those decisions are made for the betterment of the students, because that is what schooling is all about.

I want to touch on the issue of school buses. This issue has been very contentious, particularly in regional centres, particularly where there is no public transport, and particularly when we see state school buses going past the front gates of kids who are going to Catholic, independent and private schools. All these parents pay taxes. All these parents are part of their communities. All of these parents are part of the taxation situation, yet they do not have the opportunity to put their child on a state bus. Why is that?

I am glad to see that the Minister for Education is here because it is something that I would really like her to consider. I think every child should have the opportunity to get onto a bus so that they can get to school. This is about the kids; it is not about whether they are private or public school children. It is about equity. It is about putting kids on a bus and getting them to school to make sure they get the best education, no matter what colour, brand, private or public school they attend. It is all about those families having equity for their children.

As I said, many schools contribute in a number of ways. I think one of the great contributions that some of my schools make is that they always organise floats in the Christmas pageant. In addition, they always raise money for local sports clubs and community needs. It is great to see the sporting clubs and the national Footy Colours Day.

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the wonderful effort by our teachers and the support staff in educating and supporting our children in the Riverland and Mallee. Schools provide an extreme amount of care. They also clothe and feed some of the less fortunate.

Time expired.

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (12:03): I rise today also to speak in support of the motion:

That this house—

(a) celebrates World Teachers' Day held annually on 5 October; and

(b) acknowledges the vital and inspirational role teachers play in providing quality education in a range of settings and to a diverse range of community members.

As the member for Chaffey said before, and I am sure members in this chamber on both sides will say again, one of the wonderful parts of this job is engaging with young people. It is one of the parts that I truly enjoy. I think we have a great opportunity, as members of this place, to help inspire and give great thought to young people when we do get to meet them in our community or in fact when they come in here on parliamentary tours. We have the opportunity to get them really excited about being members of the community who give back. By leading the way and showing the way, hopefully we can excite other young people to do the same. Whilst we are not technically teachers, we do have that teaching role.

Another thing I would like to do is thank all the teachers I had over my time. The one thing I notice about teaching (and I was involved in the sector for a while) is that when you are out there doing the work and you are putting your heart and soul into this job you do not know the impact you are going to have years down the track. If you are an accountant or a lawyer or a doctor or whatever it might be, you can see the results very much before your eyes. When you are a teacher, you are planting a seed and the reward of that seed is not known until it has germinated many years down the track.

I find that a really tough job for teachers because a lot of the time the good work they do is not realised, even by the pupils, until 10 or 15 years down the track when they realise and sit back and think, 'Wow, what that teacher did for me was absolutely fantastic,' and the member for Chaffey mentioned as much. I have many personal experiences like that in my life, so to that end I would like to thank personally all the teachers who were ever involved in my life.

More importantly, I mentioned the schools and the great part we have in this role of engaging with schools. I have a lot in my community that cross over a number of boundaries, and I would just like to mention them on this occasion. Brighton Primary School is one in my community that is shared with the member for Bright, David Speirs, and they have a new principal, Ian Filer, who is doing a great job. I have had a long association with that school as well. In fact, we had them in here for a tour of parliament not so long back and the students were absolutely outstanding. They were so well behaved and so respectful, and again they had that great energy and thirst for knowledge that was wonderful to see.

I have had a lot of involvement with Darlington Primary School over their journey. They have a new principal there as well. We have had them enter our Christmas card competition and they are, again, a very engaged group of students and wonderful kids, and it is great whenever they do come on a parliamentary tour and I appreciate it. I met with Cheryl Ross, the principal of Marion Primary School, and had a bit to do with a number of the students. In fact, one of their students is playing Auskick in the AFL grand final this weekend, so that is very exciting for that school community.

I have a very close association with Paringa Park Primary School, where the member for Chaffey said he went as a young student. Their principal, Leanne Prior, is doing a marvellous job. It is a great little school, and recently I helped judge their Paringa's Got Talent concert, which was an incredibly tough thing to do, as I am sure all members in this place who have taken part in something like that would know.

Warradale Primary School is another great primary school I had in here for a parliamentary tour just a few weeks ago; in fact, the Hon. Michelle Lensink from the other place helped out with that. She talked about the upper house and I talked about this wonderful chamber, and before they moved through I had to explain to the kids how much better this chamber was; I am sure Michelle gave a different interpretation. Bec Maddigan was the teacher who got that group together and, again, they were wonderful kids—so well behaved, so attentive, so respectful—and asked brilliant questions. They were sponges for knowledge. The principal is Greg Graham, and I look forward to working with them more in the future.

Liz Keogh is the principal of Christ the King School. They had their school fete earlier in the year, back in April, and do a wonderful job in their local community as well. The Stella Maris Parish School principal, Sean Hill, is a good friend of mine and does an outstanding job. Every time I go to that school the kids are just so well behaved, so respectful and so engaging. That is what I love about it. I am not sure if I am getting old or if it is a reality, but the young kids of today really do look you in the eye, shake your hand and engage so wonderfully well. That is no more evident than at Stella Maris Parish School with Sean doing a great job there.

I visited St Teresa's with David Speirs, the member for Bright. The principal is Peter Mercer. They are doing a wonderful job and, very much like Stella Maris, they have outstanding students. Sunrise Christian School, which is just around the corner, again has great young students doing good things in our community. I have a very close association with Brighton Secondary School, and just the other day I compered the White Ribbon domestic violence question and answer seminar.

They brought in kids from other schools and a number of people sat on the panel; in fact, the member for Reynell sat on the panel. It was really wonderful to see the students so engaged in where their community is going and what impact and input they want to have into their society. I commend the principal, Olivia O'Neill, and all the students; in fact, my two kids go to that school. It is the school I went to where I had some of those wonderful teachers, and it is always a pleasure to go back to what is now Brighton Secondary School. For the older people in the place, it was once Brighton High School.

Another great school is Marymount College, which is part of the Catholic community in my local area. I mentioned Stella Maris and also mentioned St Teresa's, which are feeder schools for Marymount College, a middle school for girls. There are some changes going on there, too. I know a number of the teachers there, and there are some exciting changes going on with Marymount merging with Sacred Heart and the middle school as well, so there are some exciting times ahead for that school. Again, there are some great teachers whom I know personally at Marymount, and I thank them for all the work they do.

I also had a lovely tour of Westminster School. The acting principal, Grant Bock, took me around and it was great to see the facilities they have. I commend them for the great work they do and the wonderful students they have. They have a wonderful school fair, as well, which I visited back in April. The number of people in the community who turn out to support it is absolutely wonderful. The new principal, Simon Shepherd, is starting in term 4 and I wish him all the very best at Westminster.

Seaview High School is another school I have had a lot to do with. Penny Tranter is the principal and Bill Stapleton is the deputy principal. David Speirs, the member for Bright, and I visited there recently and we had a bit of crossover with a lot of the students. To see what Penny has done with that school over the last few years has been outstanding. She really has engaged and changed the culture. Every time I speak to students there, and I often do, with their leadership groups and so on, the pride in that school is growing minute by minute, so a big congratulations to all the teachers there.

In fact, I have been to a staff meeting and a governing council meeting. A couple of the teachers there were actually teachers of mine when I was at school. I will not mention their names, but Phil Lendrum is one. I did have to remind him but, thankfully, he did not have too many bad things to say about me. Again, it is great to see these teachers who have been doing the job for such a long time.

Seaview Downs Primary School is another school with an outstanding principal in Des Hurst. He has come in and really just turned that school around and they are going gangbusters. They have really picked up in the IT department, and people are coming from far and wide to get into that school. It is an absolutely outstanding school. One student, Holly, was one of the winners of our Christmas card competition last year, so there are kids with a lot of talent in that school. Again, a big thank you to all the teachers there who are doing an outstanding job.

Sheidow Park is another great school, and Woodend Primary School is, in fact, coming in for a school tour in just under an hour's time so we will catch up with them very shortly. Again, the member for Bright and I have had a fair bit to do with those schools as well. St Martin de Porres has Craig Fosdike as the principal doing a great job in the local community. Reynella Primary School is an outstanding school.

I know that Steve Freeman was at Reynella, but he has now gone to Woodend as the principal. I really admire and respect the work that he did at Reynella Primary School when he was the principal at that school. He had the respect of all the teachers and all the parents and created a really wonderful hub for that community. Steve did an absolutely outstanding job and I am sure that he is doing similarly at Woodend Primary School, and I look forward to catching up with their classes in a few moments.

Reynella South is another school that I love engaging and working with. It has some absolutely fantastic students who really look for any and every opportunity. I have had an opportunity on a number of occasions to speak at their school or engage with their students and the governing council and all the teachers there. They are really passionate about doing wonderful things in that school and in that community. I know they have a new principal there now in Karen Knox.

They have been on parliamentary tours, as well. They are all very respectful and great kids. When the teachers come in, often when they bring students into this place they want to make sure that they are on their best behaviour, and they really seem to be putting in a fair bit of effort, and 99 times out of 100 I turn to the teachers and say, 'These students are absolutely fantastic and so well behaved and so engaged with what is going on.'

Again, I cannot sing the praises of teachers highly enough. A number of my personal friends are teachers, and I know the true importance of teaching in our community and what it also does for our state long term by generating absolutely wonderful people. The thing I think that is so important about World Teachers' Day is the point I made at the very start, and the point I will finish with: so often teachers plant a seed in a young student and it does not germinate until many years later, so they do not get to thank that teacher. I think World Teachers' Day on 5 October is a perfect opportunity to thank all the teachers out there who have had any impact on any student, especially here in South Australia, to make our state great.