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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-02 Daily Xml
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COUNTRY EDUCATION

Ms BREUER (Giles) (15:52): I was very disturbed to hear the member for Schubert's grievance. It is a terribly sad situation, and it is mind-boggling to think that this young man gave the eulogy for his friend a couple of weeks before. I am sorry, member for Schubert, but I think that it does not matter how much money the state government puts into roads, repairing them and whatever, the answer is not in the roads but in how we educate these young people about the dangers and how they drive.

It makes me so sad because it is a major issue for country youth, and it is a major killer of our young people. I think that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to educate them and prevent this sort of tragedy happening not only to them but also to their families and their community. I know that when you lose someone in a country community it affects everyone, not just the family. I feel very sad about the whole situation.

Today, I want to talk about country education, which has been a passion of mine for many years, long before I got into this place. In my previous life, I was involved with TAFE, and I feel very strongly about education for young people in our country areas, which I think is important and cannot be neglected because we live in country regions.

I am very aware of the issues involved in sending our young people to university in Adelaide when they finish their schooling. I must say that I was terribly concerned about the latest federal Labor government's policy in relation to the two year wait for eligibility for an allowance, and I do not think that the implications for country people have been thought through. I know that many of our young people work their butts off for 12 months after they leave school so that they can go to university in Adelaide because their families just cannot afford to send them.

The means test is the same means test for those in Adelaide, and there is no consideration for the fact that country people have to send their children to Adelaide, pay their accommodation, pay their living expenses, pay their transport and buy them a new computer. All those issues are not taken into account, so I am concerned about this policy.

I know that more country scholarships will be offered, but they will still not help all the middle income families with two or three children left at home who just will not be able to afford to send their young ones to Adelaide. Again, this means that we will not get those skills back into our country regions when they finish their education. So, I ask the federal government seriously to look at this issue and reconsider what is being proposed.

The issue of country schools is very dear to my heart, and I am very angry to hear the opposition spokesperson on education move that we look at this issue of community consultation; he moved a motion in this place today regarding community consultation. I am sick to death of outside people coming into our communities and creating angst. There is an issue in our three towns, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie, and a review has been going on. I have expressed my concern for a long time about this and the way the process has been operated, but I do not want people coming in, stirring the pot in our communities. That is what has happened in Port Pirie.

I do not agree with the way the process has gone. I have said right through; I have known for two years this was happening in my community. I have urged the steering committee to consult with our community and not just our education community—not just our teachers and our school communities—but the whole community. I know there have been some issues with that. However, it is too late to sit back and start carrying on about this when for the first time we have the opportunity to have some beautiful facilities in our communities.

There is a problem with education in these country towns. There are some issues there; more people are going to the private school system, because they have concerns about the state of our schools, etc. If we start bringing people pushing a political viewpoint into our communities we will lose that opportunity to improve our facilities and communities. I am not happy about the fact that 19 sites could close in Whyalla, but I am happy about the fact that we have the potential to have a brand new, state-of-the-art high school, and we should not turn our back on tradition. If you ask a young person what they would prefer: a dog-eared copy of a Famous Five novel or a brand new DVD of TheTerminator, I know what the majority of young people will choose. If you offer them their old, weather-beaten school, with lots of tradition and heritage (and it is very important to me; I am going to lose my school, Whyalla High School) versus a brand new, state-of-the-art, brilliantly resourced school, I know what the young people will opt for in most cases.

We must not let this opportunity pass by and we must not get caught up in the hype and political angst and carry-on which is going on now in Port Pirie and which is spreading somewhat to Whyalla, although I am trying to keep control of it. Let us think this through clearly; let us think about what is best for our young people and take this opportunity while we can and the federal money is available.

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