Building Better Schools Program

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Minister, can you talk about how schools across my electorate of Elder will benefit under the state government's Building Better Schools program?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (15:02): I am delighted to answer this question. In addition to the funding that we've been announcing recently—that is, ongoing recurrent funding courtesy of our commitment to Gonski, which will strengthen the quality of what occurs inside our schools—yesterday I was also delighted, as people would be well aware, to announce, alongside the Premier, an enormous investment in the infrastructure of our public schools: 91 public schools and about $692 million across the state.

The member asked in particular about the impact of that decision for her electorate of Elder. There are a few schools in her electorate that are being paid attention to as a result of this infrastructure expenditure. One of them, of course, is Pasadena. Members will recall that there were—

Mr DULUK: Point of order: Pasadena High School is in the electorate of Waite and not in the electorate of Elder—relevance.

The SPEAKER: I don't think that's a point of order.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: If I can clarify, Mr—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Presumably—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned. Presumably, there are some children who go to that high school from Elder.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Indeed, as there are for Unley. Interestingly, school boundaries—

Mr DULUK: Point of order: the high school of Unley is in the electorate of Waite, not in the electorate of Elder. The question was about schools in Elder.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the member was told just a few seconds earlier what was wrong with the point of order, that it was not a point of order at all; in fact, he is just arguing with the answer. He has now made a bogus point of order a second time. I am going to be merciful and leave him here. If he does it again, he will be gone under the sessional order. Minister.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just to clarify, schools and their boundaries don't conform neatly to our electorate boundaries, which in any case change periodically. Therefore, I am answering this in the manner in which I expect it was asked, which is: what schools are affected for the people who live in the electorate of Elder? It is about the schools that their children are attending. I am perfectly happy to talk about all the schools in the area but, in the interest of time, I will talk to those where the majority of kids who live in the electorate of Elder are likely to go.

One of those is Pasadena as is, indeed, Unley High School. Members will recall that with Pasadena and Unley there was a quite difficult process of considering a voluntary amalgamation between those two schools, which in the end was decided against by the community of Pasadena. I recall being asked a question at the time, I believe by the member for Morialta, about the extent of our commitment as a government to Pasadena in the event that amalgamation not be supported, as indeed it subsequently proved not to be.

For those young people who live in the seat of Elder, who either are already going to Pasadena or are not yet going to Pasadena but attempting to go to Unley, it is important that they understand that we are committed to making Pasadena a successful school. I have spent time with the principal of the school and with interested local members from across that area who want to see that the school has a plan to succeed. The Australian Science and Mathematics School, which is based at Flinders University, has taken an interest in Pasadena and spent some time working out how they can have an integrated approach to learning for their students.

The finances, the $10 million that we were able to allocate yesterday, are contingent upon a successful plan that shows us a pathway for that school. Without the funding, it is unlikely that the school would be successful. With the funding, it is highly likely that we will be able to turn that school around. Another school that many children who live in the seat of Elder attend is the school of Hamilton Secondary College, although as an adult-entry school as well it of course draws from a much broader area than the seat of Elder. That school has done some incredible work recently.

I was there to open their space centre recently. It was almost too overwhelming to speak coherently because there were two astronauts in the audience as well as my son, so I felt that I really needed to perform well and I am not sure that I was up for the challenge. To have Andy Thomas and Pamela Melroy there to be part of the opening of the space centre was a tremendous honour. Andy Thomas, who spoke, was incredibly complimentary about the quality of offering. To be able to put additional funding into that school, another $9 million, to make that a successful school in other parts of its infrastructure as well is very important.