Dr LIM - 1999-02-24
Today’s NT News ran a story saying the NT government is introducing a code of conduct for student behaviour. I ask the minister if this is true and if so, will the public be consulted before the implementation of the code?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this government took some very forward-thinking decisions in terms of the Planning for Growth exercise and in terms of how we saw the shaping of the future of young Territorians throughout the education process. One of the areas that was identified as part of the review was that of student behaviour and we took upon ourselves - and certainly the department has taken upon itself - the decision to work through strategies in areas of support within the classroom and elsewhere in terms of how we can maximise the productivity of classroom behaviour and behaviour of our students outside the classroom.
I intend to put to the community, and invite feedback from stakeholders throughout the Northern Territory, the establishment of a minimum set of acceptable standards by the community that we expect all Territorians, but in this particular case young Territorians, to adhere to. In no way am I looking at establishing something that is going to cramp the style of any particular school.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: Many schools have in fact adopted some very creative and responsible ways to approach this issue. But if the member for Wanguri doesn’t think this is such a good idea, then that is worth being placed on record and I will have no hesitation in telling people out in the electorate that the member for Wanguri is against such a measure.
Mr BAILEY: Point of order, Mr Speaker!Under Standing Order 62 any attribution to members in relation to their motives or to offences that are unbecoming is not allowed. His allusion to my suggestion that I was against a code of conduct is quite clearly a breach of that order and I request him to withdraw it because it is a lie. I suggest, Mr Speaker, that he and his colleagues should have a code of conduct as well as students ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is drawing a very long bow.
Mr BAILEY: Mr Speaker, he is misrepresenting what I just said. He is lying in this Chamber, and I request he withdraw it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will withdraw that. The member for Wanguri will withdraw that inference.
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw, but he has lied, and I request under Standing Order 62 that he withdraw his unbecoming references.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I would ask the minister not to be provocative in making those sorts of comments, but I also say this: members of the opposition are being provocative and drawing out those sorts of comments. In fact, across the Chamber today and in particular from your side of the House, there have been a number of very provocative statements made. It could be inferred from these, in fact, that members on the government side of the House have behaved in some way which is unbecoming. I am prepared to be fairly lenient, but I expect both sides of the House to adhere to the rules.
I ask the minister, since the member for Wanguri has taken particular offence to those comments, to withdraw them, please.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, I am not sure what I am supposed to withdraw.
Mr BAILEY: You know quite well - that I object to students having a code of conduct.
Mr SPEAKER: Yes, that is the relevant matter You inferred that the member for Wanguri objected to a code of conduct.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, I am happy to acknowledge that the member ...
Members: Withdraw! Withdraw!
Mr ADAMSON: ... has now had a change of mind. But, can I get ...
Mr BAILEY: The honourable minister is quite clever in suggesting that I have changed my mind. He misrepresented in the first case and he cannot suggest a change of mind. He should withdraw without smart-ass comments.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BAILEY: This is disgraceful.
Mr SPEAKER: If I could first of all clear up this other matter. I did ask the minister to withdraw it. He should withdraw unreservedly. The words used by the member for Wanguri should also be withdrawn. Thank you very much.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Certainly Mr Speaker, I welcome that; it is great. Can I say, as an example, that this sort of behaviour in a classroom, as part of this code, would probably warrant ...
Mr Stirling: You still haven’t withdrawn it.
Mr ADAMSON: In our particular code of conduct, we’re talking about the need for counselling …
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: It’s been withdrawn. Would the member for Nhulunbuy please tone it down.
Mr ADAMSON: I have withdrawn. Relax and take a deep breath. That is an example of the disruptive behaviour in a classroom. At the moment students and teachers are saying to us that in a classroom of perhaps 20 students, there are 1 or 2 students who are behaving ...
Mr Bailey: What about stealing?
Mr ADAMSON: We will soon be talking about that. But, for instance, if we were a class of 25 people and we had a disruptive student like the member for Wanguri - and I do appreciate him assisting me in this debate as he did - in that particular classroom situation, I want to see something codified where a person like, for instance, the member for Wanguri, did undergo some sort of a counselling process and have some sort of withdrawal room.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister please resume his seat for a moment. I am finding it impossible to hear what the minister is saying. I ask members on both sidesof the House, but in particular on the opposition benches, to tone it down, please.
Mr ADAMSON: I find it remarkable that, for something which members opposite apparently agree I am getting such opposition in terms of interjections.What I wish to do is have a consultation process with the community to set a minimum set of standards of behaviour that are acceptable to the community. I will be working with schools to emphasise those positive areas where schools have undertaken to modify disruptive student behaviour both inside and outside the classroom, and we will be acknowledging the great work being done there.
I expect, and intend, that schools individually will set standards over and above whatever we put in place under these plans to suit their own individual cases, unique to their own circumstances. But this process that is part of this overall strategy, within the departmental review that is looking at destructive behaviour, is a process that I will be seeking input from wide areas of the community. But I think it is more than appropriate, and more than timely, that we set standards that we can expect our students to follow. And set standards that teachers know formally they will receive support for from the schools and the department in the areas of that particular behaviour.
I think this is an important move. I think that we could be doing something quite significant here, and it is quite disappointing that we cannot undertake something like this in a far more constructive manner. I think it is quite disappointing, and reflects quite badly on some members of this place, that something like this has to be shouted down, something that I believe is quite a positive situation in the community and will be well received. I simply call on all members here, but obviously particularly the members of the opposition, to change their attitude on this particular matter, on this very particularly important subject.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this government took some very forward-thinking decisions in terms of the Planning for Growth exercise and in terms of how we saw the shaping of the future of young Territorians throughout the education process. One of the areas that was identified as part of the review was that of student behaviour and we took upon ourselves - and certainly the department has taken upon itself - the decision to work through strategies in areas of support within the classroom and elsewhere in terms of how we can maximise the productivity of classroom behaviour and behaviour of our students outside the classroom.
I intend to put to the community, and invite feedback from stakeholders throughout the Northern Territory, the establishment of a minimum set of acceptable standards by the community that we expect all Territorians, but in this particular case young Territorians, to adhere to. In no way am I looking at establishing something that is going to cramp the style of any particular school.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: Many schools have in fact adopted some very creative and responsible ways to approach this issue. But if the member for Wanguri doesn’t think this is such a good idea, then that is worth being placed on record and I will have no hesitation in telling people out in the electorate that the member for Wanguri is against such a measure.
Mr BAILEY: Point of order, Mr Speaker!Under Standing Order 62 any attribution to members in relation to their motives or to offences that are unbecoming is not allowed. His allusion to my suggestion that I was against a code of conduct is quite clearly a breach of that order and I request him to withdraw it because it is a lie. I suggest, Mr Speaker, that he and his colleagues should have a code of conduct as well as students ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is drawing a very long bow.
Mr BAILEY: Mr Speaker, he is misrepresenting what I just said. He is lying in this Chamber, and I request he withdraw it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will withdraw that. The member for Wanguri will withdraw that inference.
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw, but he has lied, and I request under Standing Order 62 that he withdraw his unbecoming references.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I would ask the minister not to be provocative in making those sorts of comments, but I also say this: members of the opposition are being provocative and drawing out those sorts of comments. In fact, across the Chamber today and in particular from your side of the House, there have been a number of very provocative statements made. It could be inferred from these, in fact, that members on the government side of the House have behaved in some way which is unbecoming. I am prepared to be fairly lenient, but I expect both sides of the House to adhere to the rules.
I ask the minister, since the member for Wanguri has taken particular offence to those comments, to withdraw them, please.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, I am not sure what I am supposed to withdraw.
Mr BAILEY: You know quite well - that I object to students having a code of conduct.
Mr SPEAKER: Yes, that is the relevant matter You inferred that the member for Wanguri objected to a code of conduct.
Mr ADAMSON: Mr Speaker, I am happy to acknowledge that the member ...
Members: Withdraw! Withdraw!
Mr ADAMSON: ... has now had a change of mind. But, can I get ...
Mr BAILEY: The honourable minister is quite clever in suggesting that I have changed my mind. He misrepresented in the first case and he cannot suggest a change of mind. He should withdraw without smart-ass comments.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BAILEY: This is disgraceful.
Mr SPEAKER: If I could first of all clear up this other matter. I did ask the minister to withdraw it. He should withdraw unreservedly. The words used by the member for Wanguri should also be withdrawn. Thank you very much.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Certainly Mr Speaker, I welcome that; it is great. Can I say, as an example, that this sort of behaviour in a classroom, as part of this code, would probably warrant ...
Mr Stirling: You still haven’t withdrawn it.
Mr ADAMSON: In our particular code of conduct, we’re talking about the need for counselling …
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: It’s been withdrawn. Would the member for Nhulunbuy please tone it down.
Mr ADAMSON: I have withdrawn. Relax and take a deep breath. That is an example of the disruptive behaviour in a classroom. At the moment students and teachers are saying to us that in a classroom of perhaps 20 students, there are 1 or 2 students who are behaving ...
Mr Bailey: What about stealing?
Mr ADAMSON: We will soon be talking about that. But, for instance, if we were a class of 25 people and we had a disruptive student like the member for Wanguri - and I do appreciate him assisting me in this debate as he did - in that particular classroom situation, I want to see something codified where a person like, for instance, the member for Wanguri, did undergo some sort of a counselling process and have some sort of withdrawal room.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister please resume his seat for a moment. I am finding it impossible to hear what the minister is saying. I ask members on both sidesof the House, but in particular on the opposition benches, to tone it down, please.
Mr ADAMSON: I find it remarkable that, for something which members opposite apparently agree I am getting such opposition in terms of interjections.What I wish to do is have a consultation process with the community to set a minimum set of standards of behaviour that are acceptable to the community. I will be working with schools to emphasise those positive areas where schools have undertaken to modify disruptive student behaviour both inside and outside the classroom, and we will be acknowledging the great work being done there.
I expect, and intend, that schools individually will set standards over and above whatever we put in place under these plans to suit their own individual cases, unique to their own circumstances. But this process that is part of this overall strategy, within the departmental review that is looking at destructive behaviour, is a process that I will be seeking input from wide areas of the community. But I think it is more than appropriate, and more than timely, that we set standards that we can expect our students to follow. And set standards that teachers know formally they will receive support for from the schools and the department in the areas of that particular behaviour.
I think this is an important move. I think that we could be doing something quite significant here, and it is quite disappointing that we cannot undertake something like this in a far more constructive manner. I think it is quite disappointing, and reflects quite badly on some members of this place, that something like this has to be shouted down, something that I believe is quite a positive situation in the community and will be well received. I simply call on all members here, but obviously particularly the members of the opposition, to change their attitude on this particular matter, on this very particularly important subject.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016