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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-12-03 Daily Xml
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Subs in Schools Program

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister inform the house how schools are using submarines to extend their STEM learning?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If I hear from either the Leader of the Opposition or the Treasurer out of order for the remainder of question time, they may be leaving the chamber together. I will also accept a motion that they be arrested and brought to the chair and made to stand alongside me. Minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:30): The Future Submarine Technology Challenge, or the Subs in Schools program as it has become known, is a merging of science, technology, engineering and mathematics into a project designed to extend the capabilities of students and bring a real-world relevance to their education. Currently being trialled in about half a dozen Australian schools, of which three are in South Australia, including—

Mr KNOLL: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr KNOLL: This information is detailed in a press release on the ASC website from 5 May this year.

The SPEAKER: Can you email it to me, and I will check it against the minister's delivery?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: This program is being trialled in three schools in South Australia, including Le Fevre High School, Brighton Secondary School and St Peter's Girls' School. Schools have entered into industry partnerships for advice and assistance with manufacturing components. Brighton Secondary School is working with Babcock Pty Ltd, Le Fevre High School with Australian Submarine Corporation, and St Peter's Girls' with Saab Australia.

The Subs in Schools program is sponsored by the Defence Materiel Organisation and managed by Re-Engineering Australia. It is intended that the programs, resources and materials will be rolled out more broadly to schools to run a program similar to that of the F1 in Schools challenge next year.

Year 12 students at Brighton Secondary School have recently completed the build of a fully functional model submarine that has all the elements in working order, including remote control, rudder, dive capabilities and motor propulsion. It is certainly much more complicated than building a canoe, for example. Indeed, I was at Brighton Secondary School only a couple of weeks ago, and students were extremely proud to show off their submarine. Their federal MP, Andrew Southcott, however, looked a little sheepish. Understandably, he was too embarrassed to look at the submarine and too embarrassed to talk to the students.

The skills and capabilities students are developing through this program will lead to highly-skilled STEM university pathways, including engineering, naval, electrical and systems engineering, but these students—students in the southern suburbs, students down at Port Adelaide—may never have the chance to use these skills or work in these jobs. Liberal Senator David Johnston promised the people of South Australia that the next fleet of submarines would be built here.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: this is about the Subs in Schools program, and not what Mr Johnston has got to do with this matter. It is entirely debate and trying to inflame this matter.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the minister has to say. Can I say the member for Schubert has not nailed the minister on this. There is a great deal of elegant variation.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, sir. Thank you for your wise adjudication. Now the skills that students are learning through the Subs in Schools program are at risk of being lost. The Abbott government needs to stop sending contradictory messages to South Australian students—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: the minister is now repeating exactly what I have raised; that is, this question of debate with the federal Liberal government.

The SPEAKER: If the deputy leader raises that point of order again, she will be leaving us. Minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, sir. The Abbott government is sending contradictory messages to our students. They are paying lip-service to the value of STEM education, but then taking STEM education and job opportunities away from our young people. It is a cliché, but actions speak louder than words. The actions of the federal government tell me they don't value education and they don't value—

Mrs Vlahos interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —the jobs of South Australians. This side of the house urges the federal government to make the right decision and have the submarines built here in South Australia.

The SPEAKER: In response to the deputy leader, I thought the education minister joined up her remarks to the question relevantly.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine: Sometimes you have to listen.

The SPEAKER: The education minister is called to order.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine: Thank you, sir. Stop talking and listen sometimes.

The SPEAKER: The education minister is warned.

Ms CHAPMAN: Now the minister is telling you to stop talking. This is outrageous!

Mrs Vlahos interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Was the minister telling the member for Bragg or the Speaker to shut up?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I was suggesting that, if the member for Bragg sometimes stopped talking and let someone answer the question, she might know what was going on. I can give you the statistics of the interjections if you like.

The SPEAKER: No, I don't require them. Leader.

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