Education Security

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Education, on the matter of education in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: We have all seen disturbing footage of the spate of violent attacks in our public schools perpetrated by students on their peers. So serious and frequent are these events that security guards are being deployed into South Australian schools, like Golden Grove High, which is experiencing an epidemic of bullying and violence. As parents remove their children from schools for their protection, the department continues to assure parents and the community that its behaviour support policy and bullying prevention strategy is evidence based. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. What is the evidence behind the department's evidence-based program, how is it monitored and would the Attorney agree it is not working?

2. How has the department's evidence-based behaviour support policy and bullying prevention strategy impacted the number of violent assaults on children in our public system since its inception?

3. How much money has been spent on security guards since Labor took power, and how does that compare with previous years?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:28): I thank the honourable member for her questions; I will refer them to the minister in another place and bring back a reply.