Schools With Internet Fibre Technology Program

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister update the house on progress of the government's improvements to school internet infrastructure, including in my King electorate?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:38): I thank the member for King for this question. I know how passionate she is about schools in her electorate and representing them, as she is about representing the community. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to talk to the parliament about the Schools With Internet Fibre Technology program—SWiFT internet technology.

An honourable member: Wow!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Do you like that? I am very, very proud of the acronym, amongst other things. This is an important program because, of course, prior to the commencement of the program South Australian schools had some of the slowest internet connections in the country. Indeed, when we came to power only about 25 per cent of our schools in South Australia had any sort of fibre-optic connection known as the quickest scalable opportunity to get fast internet.

I think that's why we made an election commitment, and the Labor Party made an election commitment, that we would improve internet services—because it was so desperately needed. We had the slowest internet on the mainland. They had 16 years before the election, of course, to do it and didn't. Nevertheless, this is something that I am pleased we have bipartisan support for. In December last year, the Premier and I announced an $80 million commitment to it.

There were some pilot schools beforehand, of which Golden Grove High School in the member for King's electorate was one. I am very pleased to advise the house that we now have 71 schools connected across South Australia to this fibre-optic rollout, with nearly 40,000 students—in fact, today I think it has tipped over 40,000 students across our system—and more than 4,000 educators.

This is a great program for students, who have access to curriculum opportunities, as teachers do to professional development and class programs, and having reliable internet that you can just turn on and turn off with the reliability of a tap is critical if schools are being able to engage in the opportunities that the internet provides.

I have mentioned that Golden Grove High School in the electorate of King has been connected. I can advise the member that on 18 March Greenwith Primary School was connected and on 9 May Salisbury Heights Primary School was also connected. Two hours ago, Salisbury Park Primary School has also been connected, with a 100-megabyte fibre connection replacing its old wireless technology which was much slower and less reliable.

This is great news for schools in King, of course, but I can also advise other members. The member for Playford, I am sure, is keen to know that Karrendi Primary School is being connected today or tomorrow. This week the member for Mount Gambier in his electorate will have Melaleuca Park Primary School, Reidy Park Primary School and McDonald Park School all being connected as well. The member for Reynell will be pleased to know that Reynella South Primary School is being connected this week. I am very certain that the member for Unley is going to be pleased about Glen Osmond Primary School's imminent connection.

In the southern suburbs, again, the member for Kaurna might be interested to know that Old Noarlunga Primary School is about to be connected, and the member for Elizabeth can sleep well at home tonight knowing that Playford Primary School will be connected within hours. Next week, the member for Badcoe can be advised that Forbes Primary School is not far away. This is a great project for schools across South Australia to ensure that our South Australian students have the opportunities to engage with professional development, to engage with the curriculum opportunities to do SACE online subjects in their high school curriculum.

By the end of next year—in fact, during 2020—all of our schools across South Australia will be connected, with the exception of four very remote schools. I was pleased, with the member for Stuart, to visit Marree and Leigh Creek a couple of weeks ago and talk to those schools about the opportunities that will be available for those schools. Oak Valley and Kangaroo Island will also have their own bespoke approaches presented. It is expected that those options will be worked through with Telstra, hopefully by the end of July this year but not far behind, that will best meet the needs of those students. This is a great project being delivered by the Marshall Liberal government.