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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-23 Daily Xml
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Errington Special Education Centre

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:35): For a slight change of pace, Errington special school at Plympton is indeed a pretty special place. I have had a long association with the school dating back to its first day, when it relocated and rebranded from Ashford special school on Anzac Highway. It now boasts up to 150 brilliant students.

I remember rocking up on Errington's opening day, as a reporter with Channel 10 at the time, and covering the first exciting day at school for those students, teachers and families. Since then, it has been a joy to open the new soft fall sensory playgrounds, funded by the previous Labor government, and visit for many school assemblies, events, awards nights and fundraisers. It is a special place because of its students and because of the parents and educators who really dedicate their lives to carving out brighter futures for the children who attend.

It is easy to meet the younger students when they are just starting out at the school and wonder what sort of future they might have—whether they will ever be independent and whether they will enter the workforce in gainful employment. I know each parent worries about that. But it is a true triumph that so many of the students do reach those milestones during their time at Errington, and I have been pleased to watch those young people, in my short time as an MP, grow and graduate as capable citizens who are capable of reaching their full potential.

This happens at Errington because of remarkable people like Gino Ienco. Gino is a volunteer who has had a connection with the Ashford Errington school community for more than 12 years. He does not have any kids or grandkids at the school. He is not a teacher there. He derives no personal benefit from this connection. Gino's connection began when he was the store manager of our local Coles at Kurralta Park.

At that time, he dedicated his time to ensuring that every child received an Easter egg and a Christmas gift and that staff were recognised for their work each year. Workers at Coles personally select a gift and deliver it to the children and staff and get to see their smiles light up their faces. For some children who have grown up in care or who have had challenging lives at the school, this small gesture brings incredible joy.

Gino has since set up fundraising opportunities that bring in a whopping $10,000 a year to the school. He set up the Errington gym, with all its equipment funded solely through donations, and other funds have been spent on educational resources—absolutely remarkable. Gino can also be found cooking up a storm on the Bunnings barbecue with the school council chair, Peter Wilson, telling me that you have to pry the utensils from Gino's hands at the end of the day so determined is he to raise every dollar he can for the school.

Teachers at the school say Gino has transformed the mentality and the ethos of the school, instilling a can-do attitude. It now boasts extracurricular programs and feel-good factors that were not there prior to his work. Teacher Andy Delaney wrote to me:

From the initial vision of Gino… the school has gone from strength to strength. Today staff believe anything is possible. They don't look to others for support but problem solve in-house autonomously and take on fundraising tasks and grant writing and overcome obstacles, which before Gino's involvement would have been insurmountable.

Over 50 companies have now engaged with the school through Gino's efforts, and this is lifting the potential opportunities for its students. Many of the initiatives that Gino started have now been taken up and continued by others at the school, and that is why Gino has been nominated by the school community for the Joy Noble volunteering award, as well as several other awards. I also look forward to catching up with Gino shortly to personally recognise his incredible contribution. Thank you so much, Gino.

Gino is not alone in his dedication to the school. Great outcomes also happen there because of the efforts of parents like Richard Bekker. I was privileged to cheer on Errington's Wild Boar racing team on the weekend as they competed in the school's Pedal Prix at Victoria Park, including Richard's kids, Emily and William.

Despite the wet weather, the electric blue streak that was their human-powered car ripped around each lap keeping good time with the pack. This is something that other mainstream students might not think twice about—their ability to enter such a race—but for students at Errington this year was their first after parents like Richard argued for their inclusion.

I also got to catch up with my mate Harry—who is always bursting with energy—and see him wave the chequered flag, and I am not sure that there was another teenager quite so happy at that moment. I urge the organisers of the Pedal Prix to ensure that Errington and other special schools are included in the event in future years and that this is not just a one-off.

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