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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-07-23 Daily Xml
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EDUCATION AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:12): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Last Monday I joined the Premier in announcing the appointment of Mr Tony Harrison to the position of Chief Executive of the Department for Education and Child Development. This appointment followed the resignation of Mr Keith Bartley who has decided to return to the United Kingdom for personal and family reasons. I take this opportunity to place on Hansard my appreciation for the work that Mr Bartley has undertaken since coming to South Australia in 2011. Much change has taken place in the department since that time, and I know Mr Bartley was committed to continuing that important process.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is called to order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: However—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Alas, the member for Finniss no longer has benefit of clergy. He is called to order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: However, to do so would have placed unreasonable pressure on his health and his family responsibilities back in the UK. Mr Harrison has joined the department after a long career with South Australia Police that saw him rise to the rank of Assistant Commissioner. Last year Mr Harrison was appointed Director-General for Community Safety. He has strong experience in child protection and has managed both operations and policy within SAPOL in addition to local service delivery. Mr Harrison has been the president of Minda since 2010 and has established a reputation for high quality leadership and public administration.

To ensure that our focus on education is in no way diminished, the Premier and I also announced the elevation of Mr Garry Costello, Head of Schools, to the new position of Chief Education Officer. As Chief Education Officer Mr Costello will be responsible for school education and curriculum. This includes school improvement and student achievement for the public school and care system in South Australia. Mr Costello's clear directive is to ensure that improvement is evident at the classroom and student level and also in the processes and programs that support public education and child development.

Prior to Mr Costello's appointment as Head of Schools, he was a regional director, principal, assistant principal, student counsellor, English coordinator and teacher. Following his appointment in 1997 as principal, Mount Gambier High School enjoyed a period of rapid improvement under his stewardship. Academic results moved from low achievement to well above the state average. In 2001 and 2003 Mount Gambier High School was selected by The Australian newspaper as one of Australia's top 10 schools in recognition of the 'sustained and dramatic improvement'. In 2006 Mr Costello received the Teaching Australia award for the best national achievement by a principal.

I am confident that the partnership of Tony Harrison, Garry Costello and Mr David Waterford, as the recently appointed Deputy Chief Executive for Child Safety, will bring renewed leadership to the department and ensure swift implementation of Mr Debelle's 43 recommendations. Already, many of these—

The SPEAKER: Minister, is this extempore or do you have copies for members of the house?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I had copies with me, but unfortunately there was a mistake in them. I am happy to bring the copies back to the house once they are corrected.

The SPEAKER: Do go on.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Already, many of these recommendations are close to finalisation, and I am happy to inform the house that of the 35 recommendations that fall to the Department for Education and Child Development 18 are complete or are scheduled to be completed by the end of this month, and the remainder are to be completed by the end of this year. The Department for Communities and Social Inclusion has also increased its staffing in the criminal history screening unit.

Of the seven recommendations that fall to the Attorney-General's Department, four relate to the release of the edited and unedited versions of the report and associated transcripts, and two recommendations are proposed amendments to the Child Sex Offenders Registration Act and Summary Offences Act. Both these amendments have been included in the Child Sex Offender Registration (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill, which was introduced into the house on 3 July and debated in this house this week. One recommendation involves amendment to the Information Privacy Principles, and is in progress.

In summary, all recommendations are scheduled for completion by 31 December this year, with 18 due for completion by 31 July. Yesterday, cabinet approved the drafting of amendments to section 11 of the Children's Protection Act 1993 in response to recommendations 26 and 27, which relate to making notifications to the Child Abuse Report Line.

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