Mr MILLS - 2001-02-21
I ask this question on behalf of parents with school age children and I ask this in response to the sounds I have often heard in this parliament regarding the accusations and comments regarding the shortage of teachers. To ensure that facts are reported could the minister advise this House how many teachers are in classrooms at the start of the 2001 school year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question because it is a great story. This year we have had the lowest need to recruit teachers. The story should not be about vacancies in the classroom but the lack of vacancies in the classroom. For instance, this year we only had to recruit about 57 teachers. In the past it has been much more than that and that is a great story because it shows confidence in the education system by our practitioners in the classroom.
I had the pleasure earlier this year of speaking to the three induction groups we had in Alice Springs, Katherine and in Darwin. I went to these because I wanted to go and speak to the new members of our team, and it is a team approach we are using in education. It is a team approach between the whole of the education system to deliver the best education service for Territory kids and their parents. I will just give you some figures on that. For instance, we spend the most of any government in this country, about 40% to 50% over the national average. It is because there is a need and we believe in doing the best and we don’t shirk with dollars.
The story that is put about over there is cuts, shortages, all this. It is completely erroneous. In fact, it is stupid because people know it is not true. In addition, we have the best student/teacher ratios. It is far better than the national average. I accept that we have some problems in the indigenous education area, but read what Bob Collins had to say.
There is a man over there who has all the answers now, but when he was in charge had the opportunity to put his ideas into practice. He in fact made the attendance worse. He had all the answers but when he had the chance to put it into practice, he was a dismal failure. Bob Collins says …
Dr TOYNE: Point of order, Mr Speaker. These allegations have been made in earlier sessions of parliament. There has been evidence put out that they are clearly not true.
Mr SPEAKER: I am not party to this evidence you speak of. If you believe that you are misquoted you may get up and speak at some opportunity if you come and tell me what you want to talk about. There is no point of order.
Mr LUGG: … 26 November 2000, a substantial number of things have happened. They may not be very obvious to people who are outside the system, and I include the opposition in that. Bob Collins goes on to say …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is just too much interjection on the opposition benches, too much discussion while the minister is speaking. I am not going to tolerate it. If you keep it up, someone will be out for a while.
Mr LUGG: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Bob Collins goes on to say:
I commended the Northern Territory Department of Education this morning for the enormous effort they’ve put in in the last few months in completing restructuring the delivery of indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
This is the man who is the author of the report Learning Lessons and probably knows as much about this area as any person around, and he is very pleased with the progress we are making in that area.
In closing, I would like to say that there will be good things happening in education across the Territory this year. I will go on to that in a statement I will deliver to this House very shortly. I applaud the efforts of the teachers in my department. I want to reassure them again of my full support in delivering the best education to Territory kids and their parents.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question because it is a great story. This year we have had the lowest need to recruit teachers. The story should not be about vacancies in the classroom but the lack of vacancies in the classroom. For instance, this year we only had to recruit about 57 teachers. In the past it has been much more than that and that is a great story because it shows confidence in the education system by our practitioners in the classroom.
I had the pleasure earlier this year of speaking to the three induction groups we had in Alice Springs, Katherine and in Darwin. I went to these because I wanted to go and speak to the new members of our team, and it is a team approach we are using in education. It is a team approach between the whole of the education system to deliver the best education service for Territory kids and their parents. I will just give you some figures on that. For instance, we spend the most of any government in this country, about 40% to 50% over the national average. It is because there is a need and we believe in doing the best and we don’t shirk with dollars.
The story that is put about over there is cuts, shortages, all this. It is completely erroneous. In fact, it is stupid because people know it is not true. In addition, we have the best student/teacher ratios. It is far better than the national average. I accept that we have some problems in the indigenous education area, but read what Bob Collins had to say.
There is a man over there who has all the answers now, but when he was in charge had the opportunity to put his ideas into practice. He in fact made the attendance worse. He had all the answers but when he had the chance to put it into practice, he was a dismal failure. Bob Collins says …
Dr TOYNE: Point of order, Mr Speaker. These allegations have been made in earlier sessions of parliament. There has been evidence put out that they are clearly not true.
Mr SPEAKER: I am not party to this evidence you speak of. If you believe that you are misquoted you may get up and speak at some opportunity if you come and tell me what you want to talk about. There is no point of order.
Mr LUGG: … 26 November 2000, a substantial number of things have happened. They may not be very obvious to people who are outside the system, and I include the opposition in that. Bob Collins goes on to say …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is just too much interjection on the opposition benches, too much discussion while the minister is speaking. I am not going to tolerate it. If you keep it up, someone will be out for a while.
Mr LUGG: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Bob Collins goes on to say:
I commended the Northern Territory Department of Education this morning for the enormous effort they’ve put in in the last few months in completing restructuring the delivery of indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
This is the man who is the author of the report Learning Lessons and probably knows as much about this area as any person around, and he is very pleased with the progress we are making in that area.
In closing, I would like to say that there will be good things happening in education across the Territory this year. I will go on to that in a statement I will deliver to this House very shortly. I applaud the efforts of the teachers in my department. I want to reassure them again of my full support in delivering the best education to Territory kids and their parents.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016