School Infrastructure Projects, Black Electorate

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Can the minister update the house about school infrastructure projects supporting high-quality education in the electorate of Black?

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (14:56): I thank the member for Gibson for her question. It was wonderful to join her this morning at Warradale Primary School where she is the local member, where we officially opened the $8.5 million of brand-new school infrastructure. I know this was really well received. The community there has waited quite some time, of course, because that was a project initially announced by the former Labor government and former Minister for Education, now Deputy Premier.

I had the opportunity there to make a short address to the gathered parents and students and governing council members who had done so much work on that project, to talk about why I think it is more important now than perhaps it has ever been to be investing in schools and upgrading infrastructure, including those in the seat of Black.

The example I gave was through the lens of my own schooling, having grown up in a very small country area and attending a public primary school that had 38 kids when I started there in about 1987. When my own father started there in 1954 it had 38 kids and when my grandfather started there in 1915 it had 38 kids. We all started in the exact same classroom: it had the same blackboards and seats, and I think the only thing that changed between 1915 and 1987 was the Gestetner machine, the precursor to the photocopier that some people in here might remember—and the teachers, of course, as well.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. B.I. BOYER: That's right, the wheel-in televisions, I remember them very well, with the VHS machines. As people in this place know very well and as the member for Gibson knows very well, the world has changed a lot since 1987. The kinds of technology that young people are expected to have a sound understanding of, to use safely, and the kinds of skills that they need when they leave primary school to go high school, and high school to go into their working careers, include things like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, smart devices and all the things you can access through the internet, none of which were really a consideration so much when I was at school and certainly not when my father or grandfather were at school.

The investments that we have made in the seat of Black, which I am happy to update the house on, I think are always important, setting aside the fact that our staff are our biggest asset. That has always been true. Our teachers and SSOs and principals are the biggest asset that any education system has had and will ever have. But still, making these upgrades is really, really important.

I want to make special mention of a few, including Woodend Primary School, which again was a project announced back in 2017 by the now Deputy Premier. A total of $5 million has been spent there for new covered outdoor learning areas; refurbishment of the library, the home economics and the toilets; refurbishment of the foyer, general learning areas and two new STEAM rooms and a general learning area; and refurbishment of the existing gym. This has all occurred at Woodend Primary School.

We have also made significant upgrades at Hallett Cove School, $10 million worth there. That was also a project that was originally announced by the former Labor government back in 2017, by the now Deputy Premier. Those upgrades have included, for the $10 million that we have put in there, a full refurbishment and expansion of the middle school building, two food technology labs, two visual art studios and general learning areas as well, all really significant kinds of works that are important to make sure that the students at those schools get a really world-class experience and it is consistent no matter where people go to school.

I also want to make mention of a couple of projects that were supported by both sides of this house, which include Seaview High School and Seaview Downs Primary School. We have completed major refurbishments to both those schools, including the general learning areas and sports equipment and libraries as well, all really important stuff.

The pressure is certainly going to be on me as the Minister for Education should Alex Dighton be successful at the by-election. He is a teacher, of course. I have heard him speak very passionately around the kinds of things he believes in, and I know that if he finds his place in this house he will be putting the pressure on me to make sure that we keep up the kinds of investments that we have been doing in Black for many years.

The SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. The member for Frome.