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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-27 Daily Xml
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Parliament House School Visits

Ms PRATT (Frome) (15:28): I take this opportunity to celebrate schools, education and the opportunity that visiting parliament brings for them as well as for the members of parliament. I was delighted last week to break a record for my term as member for Frome. I had three schools in three days, enjoying the presence of Kapunda High School, Owen Primary School and Riverton. Without a doubt, for each group that came through, what was clear was the level of engagement: their participation, their enthusiasm, their curiosity, and in fact their intelligence when it came to previous conversations with their teachers about civics and citizenship, parliamentary processes and the rights of an individual to live in the community and make decisions that improve their experience.

Kapunda High School coming through with their year 7s made me reflect on the success of the transition of year 7s to high school. I was proud to contribute to the writing of that policy as we saw the former Liberal government deliver that initiative. I want to pay credit to the schools, the principals and leadership team that supported that transition across the state. It was a pleasure to be receiving year 7s as part of a high school trip to parliament. Of course, for those schools in country SA, making a trip to the city is not easy, but Kapunda does have buses parked on West Terrace during the day, so it was a pretty straightforward process for that school to provide their own transport and come to Adelaide.

I want to acknowledge the particular work and leadership of principal David Marino, who is leading his school through a particularly challenging time on the back of the tragic fire that took place in the old Eringa homestead at the high school. As a coincidence, I note that the Minister for Education is in the chamber and has worked very closely with the school to get them back on track for the restoration. I would like to make note of teacher Tash Koritsa, who has done a fantastic job in supporting her students through the first half of this year in providing that pastoral care and level of excellent teaching that we expect in our country schools.

When Owen Primary School came through on the Tuesday, they were being supported and supervised by their teacher Ben Foley, who was able to share his own personal experiences with his students in this chamber, reflecting on the previous time his father, the former member for Port Adelaide, spent on the Treasury bench. It was great for students to hear a personal account from their teacher Ben Foley. We walked around the chamber of the house as we do, and we interacted with Dr John Weste, who does a remarkable job hosting, entertaining and delighting our guests young and old with anecdotes when we visit the parliamentary library.

Riverton Primary School came through on the Wednesday. I want to pay great respect to Natalie Badcock and Edgar Thompson in our education office. Mr Speaker, I am sure you appreciate as well as I do what a fantastic job I think they have but also how important it is that we have educators with an understanding of the procedures and protocols that happen in this house. When we are short for a word—and we are probably not often short for a word—we have the experts step in to conduct those debates and engage students with all the questions they bring.

On that particular day, it did not matter where I was in the building; if I was not here with the Riverton Primary School students, I could hear them in every corner of the building, so engaged were they with their debate. They set themselves an ambitious agenda on the back of their debate, and I remind them of that today.

This is their aspirational hit list: they are looking for a bike track, basketball court, improvements for the footy grandstand, more entertainment in Riverton and a safety fence at the golf course boundary. They want to reduce littering with a clean-up action day. They want a BMX track, a vet based in Riverton, a car wash and more takeaway. With the revered artist Robert 'Alfie' Hannaford based in Riverton, they are also looking for more immersion in the arts and creative activities. It is an excellent civics and citizenship shopping list, and I hope that I can help deliver some of those with them today.

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