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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-14 Daily Xml
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SUPER SCHOOLS

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Education a question about super schools.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER: I was shocked to hear on late night radio last night—and announced not by the government but, rather, Correna Haythorpe of the AEU—that there is a proposal to amalgamate and/or close 40 regional schools across the state in order to build nine super schools in Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Augusta and that parents are being pressured into voting by 30 June in order to meet the commonwealth funding deadlines.

Various comments have been made since then by parents, the education union and teachers. One unidentified teacher—probably too frightened to identify who they were—said, 'We haven't had information. There has just been a lack of information for people to make an educated decision. Apparently talks have been happening for a couple of years, but that has not been communicated out to the general community.' Similar comments have been made, and I can only begin to imagine the consternation out there at the moment. My questions are:

1. What schools are involved in the proposed closures/amalgamations?

2. Where will the nine new schools be located?

3. Have the parents and students been properly consulted?

4. Has the transfer of education department land, such as school ovals to public space, been considered?

5. Has a community impact statement been prepared?

6. Has local government been consulted with regard to necessary changes in infrastructure, such as upgrading of access roads?

7. If these steps have not been taken, when does the minister anticipate being able to do all or some of those things between now and 30 June?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:20): Indeed, this is a very challenging policy area. In some of our regional areas, we have large numbers of schools with very small numbers of students. Of course, that can create significant issues, particularly in terms of economies of scale and also efficiencies, the scope of the curriculum (as my colleague has mentioned), the scope of subjects able to be undertaken and the scope of teaching expertise able to be attracted and retained in the schools. They are all very real issues offering great challenges in terms of providing education in country areas.

The advice I have received is that, in fact, currently an act of parliament requires that schools are not able to be closed without proper public consultation, and so there is legislative protection in place. Clearly, the Minister for Education works very hard to put forward programs which provide the very best education within the very best education facilities possible and which are also filled with the very best teachers possible.

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