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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-23 Daily Xml
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SCHOOL AMALGAMATIONS

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister confirm that Modbury High School will no longer be forced to amalgamate with Modbury South Primary School, and will he advise whether any other of the 67 schools earmarked for amalgamation in the budget will no longer be forced to amalgamate?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:01): Let me be absolutely clear about what this particular strategy is about. I know that the member for Unley has been running around the state talking about forced amalgamations and closures. These are schools that are collocated; so they are already sitting next to one another on the same school site, and the lion's share of them are actually junior primary schools and primary schools. In fact, most primary schools within the South Australian education system already have dissolved that distinction between junior primary and primary schools. So, it is bringing together a range of amalgamations in what has become an anomalous structure in our education system.

There are some sound educational reasons why there should be seamless structures between the whole of the primary school, and of course there are some savings, and that is why we sought to make them, because it was an obvious candidate for savings to bring it into line with the arrangements in other schools.

What we have said consistently is that we will comply with the Education Act, which requires a consultation process. While that Education Act was, I think, mainly directed at school closures, it does, it seems, as a matter of law, capture these amalgamations, and it does have the effect of meaning we have to run through quite a lengthy process. I am not going to pre-empt that process because there are certain structures—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: But I am not going to pre-empt the obligations that exist under the Education Act. I have to form a bona fide view about these things. We do want to make those savings if we can and we will be trying to do that.

We have said, as we have moved around the schools, that some of the amalgamations, especially the ones concerning high schools, do fall into a different category. They are a much more complicated proposition, bringing together a high school and a primary school, albeit being on one site. I have been out to the Modbury primary school/high school site, and even there there is a difference of opinion. The member for Unley would appreciate that the Modbury South Primary School is open to the amalgamation, whereas the high school is strongly opposed to it.

The truth is that the high school amalgamations do not actually provide much by way of savings. In some cases they do not provide any savings in relation to the amalgamation process, but there are still some high schools and primary schools that are interested in pursuing that process because they do see the educational benefit. What I have said to those schools, especially the more complex ones concerning the high schools, is that we will not be forcing them to amalgamate and we are prepared to listen to their point of view about that. I have met with the chair and prominent members of the governing council. I have spoken to the school's staff and I think they are satisfied with my assurances.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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