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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-23 Daily Xml
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WOMEN'S STUDIES RESOURCE CENTRE

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (16:00): My contribution today is with regard to the Women's Studies Resource Centre. The centre began as a result of the first National Conference on Sexism in Education in 1973, and was convened by the Women's Liberation movement, and subsequent women's studies courses were established at Flinders University, Adelaide University and in some of the TAFE campuses.

The education department held a conference entitled 'Women in Education', reflecting its concern with the position of women and girls in our society. It was found that teachers and students involved in the new women's studies courses—me being one of those students—became aware of the shortage of resources for the study that we were undertaking.

A group of women from various fields of education began meeting with the aim of developing a women's studies curriculum for secondary schools and bringing together the resources that were necessary for such a course. With a grant from the Australian National Advisory Committee for the International Women's Year, the Women's Studies Resource Centre was established in July 1975. It has worked tirelessly since that time to provide education resources to the department of education and its students, TAFE and its students, adult community education, the Workers Education Association and a number of community and neighbourhood houses that provide education. There are others that I am sure would be included in that area. I know that certainly in the early days both Flinders University and Adelaide University availed themselves of this unique resource.

The Women's Studies Resource Centre has a number of admirers on both sides of the house. I was very pleased to have a discussion with the new member for Adelaide, who has not only visited the centre but has understood immediately the need for this resource. She and I discussed the fact that we wanted to raise the Women's Studies Resource Centre in this house, and I am doing that today with her support, and with support from member for Bragg as well.

I need to say that the Labor women certainly on this side and in the other place have a great regard for the Women's Studies Resource Centre. We are very keen to make sure that the work that the Women's Studies Resource Centre does continues.

I am told that, through the education department, students from all over South Australia, from Aberfoyle Park to Angaston, Birdwood, Brighton, Kimba, Le Fevre, Mount Barker, Naracoorte, Streaky Bay, Wudinna high schools and area schools have accessed resources at the Women's Studies Resource Centre. I am also told that mature age students in particular—and having been one of those students I can verify this from my own experience—from Marden Open Access College, Marden Senior College, Hamilton Senior College and Para West Adult Campus are also users of the Women's Studies Resource Centre.

There are students, certainly in this year, who have come from Adelaide city, Berri, Elizabeth, Mount Barker, Noarlunga and Port Adelaide institutes of TAFE, and they find these resources very important for the courses that are provided by the Women's Studies Resource Centre. Because there has been an issue with funding for the Women's Studies Resource Centre, there has been, in recent times, I am advised, discouragement to TAFE and secondary students borrowing or even contacting the Women's Studies Resource Centre. However, I am further advised by Marilyn Rolls, who is the chairperson of the Women's Studies Resource Centre board of management, that in fact just recently there has been an increase in book borrowing during the four-month period from 1 July to 31 October.

In fact, because of the services the Women's Studies Resource Centre is now offering, there has been a considerable student interest in Facebook and pages like the Women's Studies Resource Centre website. Let's hope that the Women's Studies Resource Centre can continue to provide its excellent service to all of us in South Australia.

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