Torrens Electorate Schools

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (16:44): Today, as we approach the end of the 2023 school year, I want to acknowledge the incredibly important role of our teachers and the leadership teams in our schools in delivering the next generations of South Australians, and I want to place on record my thanks to the leadership teams and teachers in our state schools in Torrens—in fact, all our schools in Torrens, but today I am going to highlight some of the state schools. On this occasion, I make special mention of the principals, who go above and beyond to make sure that children get the best education possible and that they are the best they can be. I want to mention:

Hillcrest Primary School, with the amazing principal Lissa Hutter;

Wandana Primary School, with the fantastic Robyn McLauchlan;

Hampstead Primary School, which has a new principal this year, Lee Van Der Hoek;

Vale Park Primary School's Fione Love, who attended the school herself as a student;

Klemzig Primary School's Michele Smith, who has been at the school for a number of years now and who started the year there as principal before moving into another position. At the moment, the school has an acting principal, Nikola Haskell, and they have both done a terrific job; and

Avenues College principal Hamish McDonald, who is relatively new to the school. I know he has dedicated much of his time on the weekend in the lead-up to this year's Solar Car Challenge so that the students could participate.

I also want to mention the volunteers in our community who give so much of themselves. They give their time—in fact, many of them give hours of it—and they give it freely. I would like to highlight the governing councils today:

the governing council chair at Hillcrest Primary School, Karien Marshall, who is in her last term on the governing council, as her youngest child heads off to high school next year. I know she says that at the graduation in a week or so she knows there will be tears as her youngest leaves Hillcrest Primary School;

Hampstead Primary School governing council chairperson, Melanie Stepanich, who is a health worker and I know she tries to make sure she is able to attend governing council meetings;

Wandana Primary School governing council chairperson, Cindy Wills;

Klemzig Primary School governing council chairperson, Jennifer Lothian;

Avenues College governing council chairperson, Kerryn Hibberde; and

at Vale Park Primary School we have Darren Prior, who took over from Rohan Wundke who had been there for some time.

Today's students are the South Australians who will form the workforce of the future—from nurses and doctors, to tradies, research scientists, technicians, teachers, musicians, sportsmen and sportswomen, and so many more who will become leaders in these fields and others. I know I have said it before, but education really is a window to the world, and through education comes knowledge and opportunity. It is only right that all people should have that opportunity to access good quality education at all levels to enable them to develop and to fully realise their potential throughout their lifetime.

I want to thank the governing councils—not just the chairs, but all the parents who serve on our state, independent and Catholic school governing councils: Hillcrest Primary, Klemzig Primary, Hampstead Primary, Vale Park Primary, Wandana Primary, Avenues College, Kildare College, St Paul's College, St Pius X School, St Martin's Catholic Primary School, Pinnacle College and Heritage College. I also want to thank those who volunteer on the committees at Gilles Plains children's centre, Klemzig Kindergarten, Hampstead Preschool and Holden Hill Kindergarten as well.

As a former teacher, for me the education of our children and young people is a high priority, and I am pleased and very proud to say that it is also a priority of our government.