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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-17 Daily Xml
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REGIONAL EDUCATION OFFICES

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Is the government considering downsizing or closing any of their 11 regional education offices, staffing 545 full-time equivalent staff?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (15:01): I thank the member for this question. The member would be very well aware that, when the new agency was created on 21 October, I was very pleased to have this responsibility. We announced that we were bringing together child protection services, education and a number of very significant health services. What that means is that we are in the middle of constructing a new agency, and that will be based on what we think is important for delivering services that will give every chance to every child in our community. We have a number of structures that we have inherited, and it is fair to say that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: No, I am talking about the period before 21 October and the period after. The period before 21 October was one department of education, department for families and communities—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —and a number of services in Health. They now—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley, behave.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: They have now been brought together in the new Department for Education and Child Development. I will be very clear: I have made it very clear to my own executive leadership group that the present structures are on the table; they are absolutely on the table.

Ms Chapman: Not for long.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: No, they are on the table, and that includes regional offices, for instance. That includes regional offices. We are serious about—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: We are serious about doing what we need to do to make sure that we appropriately support children and their families. If we want our kids to do well at school then all of the research shows that we need to be engaged with them before they actually get to school, because we know that by the time they are three, 90 per cent of their brain has been wired.

I presently have no plans about what a potential structure might look like, but I have certainly been very clear to my agency that structures as they presently stand are absolutely up for grabs as we create the new agency. I have said to them that I want them to be a part of creating the agency that they think is important. I hope soon, as we prepare legislation, to go out to the community and engage with the community, and engage with the opposition about what their vision is and how they see that we might deliver this.

For instance, I hope and I anticipate that our schools will become hubs in our community. Our schools sit on billions of dollars worth of infrastructure. I have to say the great schools that I go to are the schools that open themselves up to the community; we want more of that. I think that is particularly important in our low SES communities. So, yes, I have to say, everything is up for grabs in this new portfolio.

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