Schools, Year 7 Reform

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:19): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister update the house on the transition from year 7 to high school?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:19): I thank the member for King for this question. I know that she is very passionate about her local schools. She is very excited about the opportunities that her year 6 students, as they are now in her public primary schools, will have next year as the first cohort to be in the year 7 to high school transition.

They are the last group of students in Australia, after all other sectors and all other states moved this way, so that the year 7 curriculum—the national curriculum designed to be taught by subject specialist teachers in specialist learning environments—can be delivered in that way. The schools around South Australia are preparing to welcome those year 7 students with open arms as they enter high school next year, with facilities that are on track to be absolutely ready and with a high-quality teaching workforce that will be eager and enthusiastic about their roles.

Last sitting week, I was able to report to the house that last year we had 100 permanent primary school teachers already locked into permanent secondary school positions next year—an important first step in the process. The second step in the process was that significantly more than 100 teachers with placement rights in the system were able to have that placement allocated to them in high schools next year in term 2. We know that, historically, some of these teachers have been waiting until summer holidays, or even the days before term 1 begins, before knowing what school they might be working in. They now know in term 2 this year what school they are going to be in next year, which is a great outcome for those teachers and a great outcome for those schools.

Significantly, on Monday this week, we closed more than 550 job opportunities for positions, mostly in high schools but also primary schools in the APY lands and primary positions in our new schools at Aldinga and Angle Vale. With more than 550 positions made available, I am really pleased to inform the house that, despite the naysaying of some who were concerned that we weren't going to have the level of interest from potential applicants, we have had more than 2,000 teachers apply for those 550 roles across our public education system, particularly our high schools.

This demonstrates a significant level of interest from teachers who are enthusiastic and excited about being part of that workforce that will support year 7s and the junior secondary students and the senior secondary students in our high schools going forward, meeting the expanding capacity needs of our high schools and meeting the needs of the year 7s coming in, so they can get those specialist learning environments and subject specialist teachers.

Hundreds of these teachers who have applied for these positions are indeed current primary school teachers—teachers who are currently teaching in generalist areas who are excited about the opportunity to teach in subject specialist disciplines, potentially disciplines that they might have had an interest in at uni but haven't been able to drill down into. Those teachers, should they be successful in the positions that are being offered in the coming weeks, will now have the opportunity for further professional development moving into high school. It's a great outcome.

Many of them are current primary school teachers on contracts. Many of them are current permanent primary school teachers. Many are teachers from other sectors. Many are graduates. There are a whole range of people who are applying for these positions.

I am also pleased to inform the house that, of the more than 100 school upgrades undertaken as part of the Marshall Liberal government's record $1.3 billion investment in public education, there are dozens of schools that are already appreciating some of their new facilities, and for five schools at Parafield Gardens, Balaklava, Lefevre, Plympton and Salisbury—the Minister for Innovation and Skills' alma mater—those projects are already complete. Our schools will be ready for year 7s to come into high school next year. Our year 7s will be the beneficiaries of world-class education in the system that values the learning environments in which the curriculum is designed to be taught. I can't wait to see what they achieve in the years ahead.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the leader, I call to order the member for Playford and I call to order the member for Wright. I remind members on my right that the minister is entitled to be heard in silence.