Question Time

Schools, Bullying

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Treasurer, representing the Minister for Education.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Like all South Australians, especially those with children who still attend our schools, I have been shocked by two recent stabbings of students in our schools—yesterday at North Adelaide and another in the Riverland. Police commissioner, Grant Stevens, was on radio this morning, imploring parents not to get too worried, saying, 'I don't want people to be alarmed at sending their kids to school—that's a bridge too far.'

While I concur wholeheartedly with the commissioner's comments, the incidents bring into question the circumstances behind the attacks, which our police will determine in due course. That said, the attacks raise the possibility of whether schoolyard and cyberbullying played a part. The impacts of schoolyard bullying on the community are massive: one in four students are bullied at school; 218,000 bullying victims become bullies themselves; those who bully are 3.5 times more likely to instigate family violence; and, the cost of bullying comes to about $2.3 billion a year.

Earlier this year, the Victorian opposition committed to rolling out the highly successful eSmart antibullying program, a product of the inspirational Alannah and Madeline Foundation, in all public schools in Victoria if it wins the state election in November. eSmart is a long-term change program designed to educate, track, monitor and prevent bullying and cyberbullying—a how-to guide for students, parents and teachers on tackling bullying and cyberbullying.

Two weeks ago, the South Australian government formally ended the Safe Schools program. The Department for Education website says that a new strategy is being developed. My questions to the Treasurer are:

1. Why has the government not yet implemented the antibullying program to replace the Safe Schools program that ceased on 13 July?

2. In light of that, does this mean our state schools do not currently have any antibullying programs operating?

3. Can the minister provide details of whether there are any plans to introduce the eSmart program in South Australian schools and, if so, when, and, if not, why not, when the program is already operating in over 2,300 schools across Australia?

4. Can the minister also provide details of whether there are any plans to introduce the Carly Ryan Foundation's online safety and emotional intelligence seminars to appropriately aged children?

5. Can the minister provide details on the number of incidents of bullying reported in South Australian public schools over the past 12 months?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:47): I am happy to take the substance of the honourable member's questions on notice, refer them to the minister and bring back a reply. Can I speak briefly to the member's questions. Certainly from my knowledge of what the Minister for Education has said publicly, I can put his mind to rest in relation to his comment that, in our government schools at the moment, there are no antibullying programs: that is, indeed, not the case.

There is a continuation of a range of antibullying strategies, so I understand. I am happy to take on notice and bring back the detail of those particular programs. The minister did indicate, when he announced the ending of the Safe Schools antibullying initiative, that he would be introducing a broad-based antibullying campaign or program. He did refer to the broad-based program which had been used very successfully in New South Wales' schools as a potential model on which the South Australian department may well base its comprehensive program for the future.

In relation to the two specific programs to which the honourable member has referred, I have no direct knowledge of those, but I will refer them to the minister and bring back a reply.