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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-15 Daily Xml
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SELIGMAN, DR M.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister inform the house how children, families and school communities in South Australia will benefit from the engagement of the distinguished psychologist Dr Martin Seligman as an Adelaide Thinker in Residence?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:56): I thank the member for Florey for this important question. Last night, I was amongst over 1,000 people who enjoyed Dr Seligman's public lecture at St Peter's College. I would like to thank the headmaster for his hospitality, and in fact I would like to acknowledge that the member for Taylor was also at this function. Dr Seligman is an internationally renowned psychologist and expert adviser on wellbeing as a driver of public policy, including those policies and practices that shape our schools and other community services.

Ms Chapman: So what does she say about amalgamating schools?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: He's a he. It's a man. It's a man, Vickie.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: It's a man.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: It's not a woman; it's a man.

An honourable member: And it's a private school.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon: And in your electorate, probably.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: And they were very nice and I thank them. I am particularly pleased that a focus of his residency in South Australia is on young people, because we know that if we have young people who are happy and healthy, who take a positive approach to life and learning, we not only increase the chances in life of every child, but we also build the wellbeing and strength of our entire community.

Today Dr Seligman is at Mount Barker High School—another school that we are extremely proud of in our community—meeting and talking with teachers, service providers and, of course, students about his approach to providing the skills and strategies that encourage a positive approach to learning and life. St Peter's College and Mount Barker High are working together on this project, and I have to say that I am so excited about this collaboration. As Dr Seligman has said:

All young people need to learn workplace skills, which has been the subject matter of the education system—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker, please.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you are warned.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I will start again:

All young people need to learn workplace skills, which has been the subject matter of the education system for 200 years...In addition, we can now teach the skills of wellbeing...of how to have a more positive emotion, more meaning, better relationships and more positive accomplishment...The aim is for young people of the next generation to flourish.

I have to say that he was very complimentary regarding South Australia, and in fact our Premier. I do not want to quote him but he basically said that he felt that South Australia was in a position to take advantage of all of these elements.

As he is doing today, Dr Seligman will be sharing his expertise with hundreds of our South Australian teachers, students, parents and community service providers. I encourage members opposite to become engaged in this residency. It includes a one-day conference on positive education at our Adelaide Convention Centre later this month. Thousands have attended his public lectures thus far. I have no doubt that Dr Seligman's contribution and his residency will be as powerful and as long lasting as that of the late and great Fraser Mustard. I urge everybody in this place to become familiar with his work.

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