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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml
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ROSE PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:38): Did the Minister for Education or her staff intervene in a dispute between the principal of Rose Park Primary School and members of the school's governing council? The school operates an unzoned R-7 Family Unit. With numbers in the unit declining, the principal decided to reallocate the teaching resources into the general school.

I have been advised that a Family Unit parent, Margaret Sexton, former UTLC president, emailed her friend the Minister for Education asking her to intervene and overturn the principal's decision. The Department of Education wrote in September that the principal had 'ultimate responsibility' for the school's management, but after Margaret Sexton's email was sent to the minister the principal's decision was reversed.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:40): I thank the member for Unley for his question. He is talking about what is a very popular program in one of our inner city schools. It is a program that has been in place for several decades. As with many unusual programs I understand that it has been quite controversial. There are people who are great supporters of this program; there are others who say that the program should not be in public schools. In fact, there is very often debate about whether public schools should have special programs. I know that there has been some discussion about whether we should have Steiner programs, sign language—

Mr PISONI: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, my question was specifically about the interference of the minister or her office, not about the program being run at the school. We are aware of that program, but this is about ministerial interference in the running of the school.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Minister for Education.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I was explaining that there are several programs that are popular with communities, with family groups and within our schools. Our view as a government has been that communities should be involved in the management of school programs and that they should play a part in decisions about the direction our public schools should take. I think it is highly appropriate that, where a program is in place and parents are voting with their feet to join that program, those communities should be able to have those programs in place.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley will come to order.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: Having said that, it is important that one recognises that all programs have to be performance measured. They have to be accountable, as they are spending public money. In this school, I think it is entirely reasonable that the program the member for Unley talks about should be reviewed, and I understand that that review will occur.

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