School Maintenance Program

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is delivering for South Australians through building initiatives such as the school building program, including—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr TRELOAR: —in the electorate of Flinders?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:52): I thank the member for Flinders for his question. I note the hilarity with which this question is greeted by those opposite. They were very proud of their $692 million announcement when they sold the Lands Titles Office. We are very proud of the $1.3 billion school infrastructure build in our public school system on top of tens of millions of dollars increased in school maintenance—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —on top of millions and millions of dollars in preschool maintenance grants to every single government preschool in South Australia. When I was with the member for Flinders in his electorate for the majority of last week, we went to Cummins, we went to Lake Wangary, we went to Cleve, we went to Port Neill, we went to Ungarra, we went to Port Lincoln, we went to Poonindie. It was a terrific week—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for West Torrens!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and the opportunity to talk to preschool leaders, each of whom had a community that was very grateful for those $20,000 grants where they were painting, where they were replacing carpets, where they were fixing outdoor play areas, where they were doing a range of works that were necessary, some of them long overdue. They are very grateful to this government for the decision we took for the first time as part of our stimulus measures to provide these grants. They were very excited to be giving those jobs to local tradies, jobs to local businesses throughout the Flinders electorate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: We also were able to engage with a number of school leaders doing very innovative programs and doing tremendous work. I think one of the things I really enjoyed and appreciated was the connection between communities in the Flinders electorate and those local schools.

We are doing a great body of work in the education department about the ways in which we can maximise the effectiveness of parental engagement throughout our schooling system to maximise the benefits to children's education from the work their parents can do, not just at home supporting their learning, in addition to the learning that is being done at school, but by connecting parents and schools in making sure that it is a continuous stream of learning for those students.

Many of the schools and preschools we saw in Flinders last week have an excellent model in this area, and I know that there will be many learnings that we take from that in terms of helping other schools around the state to apply. I was very excited with that group of schools we visited in the Flinders electorate. I know that we didn't get to Ceduna, but I can't wait to see the outcomes they are going to get from their $4 million build.

I can tell you that the project supporting students and families in Cummins will have a significant impact on that school, which, of course, is a school the member for Flinders is very familiar with. In fact, we went to the member for Flinders' year 7 classroom, which is still in operation and which is supporting primary school students there. We spoke to the attendance officers and the deputy principal. They don't remember him as a student, thankfully, but it is an excellent school doing terrific work.

Port Lincoln High School, can I tell you, is kicking goals left, right and centre. We have a $15 million build that will see an outstanding advancement in the tech area, as well as the refurbishment there and the new building that will support their middle school development and their junior secondary development—an increase in their student population to 900 students at Port Lincoln High School in the years ahead.

They have a terrific Bridge Unit there, which used to be called a Better Behaviour Centre. They are able to track the students they are supporting from year 8 or year 9 through to apprenticeships and traineeship pathways. Indeed, we are very proud of one of them who has just entered university. And, indeed, Port Lincoln High School is also a school that has jumped on board very early with our new flexible apprenticeship and flexible traineeship pathways, using the opportunities through aquaculture to deliver pathway programs for students so that they are set up for work when they leave school. Indeed, many of them already have training contracts now while they are completing their year 12.

These are significant sets of reforms all about jobs—setting up our young people for jobs and putting jobs into our economy right now when they are most needed.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Reynell, I warn for a second time the member for Badcoe, I warn for a second time the member for Playford, I warn the member for Lee, and I remind all members of the necessity to hear both the question and the answer in silence. The member for Reynell.