Ms ANDERSON - 2008-02-19
Can you please inform the House about additional teachers in Territory schools?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because, for me and a lot of our bush members, recruiting and keeping our teachers out in the bush is fundamental. This government recognises the important role teachers play in delivering educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, jobs for the Territory.
Since 2001, our government has employed over 100 additional teachers into our schools and is increasing those numbers still. A key component of this government’s Closing the Gap initiative will be 26 additional teachers costing $12.8m over five years. Teachers will be ready to teach where additional students attend. Furthermore, it was good to be in Canberra …
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The member for Blain hates good news, Madam Speaker. He hates knowing that we are getting the teachers out there, we are getting more jobs and we are boosting this economy ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is a ridiculous proposition, Madam Speaker. Absolutely ridiculous.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. You might like to resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: You are being really provocative. You are like a naughty little kid in the classroom. There is an ex-principal sitting beside you. She should tell you ...
Mrs Braham: Yes, so just get on with it and speak up.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I will look at you and I will try to ignore him – he hates good news.
Madam SPEAKER: Please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The federal government’s election commitment of 200 additional teachers for the Territory is being rolled out. It was fantastic to have been in Canberra when Kevin Rudd, a courageous and great Prime Minister, issued the apology to the Stolen Generations ...
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: They hate this stuff. I was fortunate enough to have been in the Chamber and to see the Deputy Prime Minister - Australia’s first female Deputy Prime Minister, which all women in this parliament should be applauding - stand up and make an additional appropriation of $7.1m for the 2008 school year for recruitment, bringing forward the recruitment of 50 of these additional 200 teachers. The additional funding of $56.8m will be provided for the remaining 150 teachers over the years 2009 to 2011. I welcome this commitment, as does everybody on this side of parliament. We recognise the role that teachers play. I commend my federal colleagues for being prepared to join in with the Territory government with our Closing the Gap initiative and the federal government’s Closing the Gap initiative to have those additional teachers we need into the Territory as numbers increase.
We understand that there are nationwide difficulties in recruiting teachers, which formed part of my discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and the minister responsible federally for education, regarding why we need to grow our own. That is an important strategy and it certainly needs to be considered by both ourselves and the federal government to have a very targeted strategy in looking at our indigenous teachers within our education system, to professionally develop our own teachers. And not just indigenous teachers. A lot of our young people leave the Territory and go interstate, do teaching, and we lose them down south. It is about retaining our young people, keeping them here, growing them, and giving them the incentive to stay here. I am looking forward to having more discussions with my federal counterpart to look at how, with the department, we can get those initiatives happening.
A lot of the work that we have done since 2001 is in building the capacity of our agencies and particularly education. I thank the previous Education ministers because a lot of work in the policy changes and the resources that were needed, as with most of us as ministers when we have taken on these portfolios has been to do with a lack of infrastructure and resources. Our government, since 2001 through previous ministers, has built up those. I am fortunate to have that portfolio to try to turn around the disadvantage in our remote Aboriginal communities which, for too long, had been neglected under the previous regime. We are certainly looking at, once again, delivering better educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, more jobs, particularly local jobs and growing our own in the Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because, for me and a lot of our bush members, recruiting and keeping our teachers out in the bush is fundamental. This government recognises the important role teachers play in delivering educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, jobs for the Territory.
Since 2001, our government has employed over 100 additional teachers into our schools and is increasing those numbers still. A key component of this government’s Closing the Gap initiative will be 26 additional teachers costing $12.8m over five years. Teachers will be ready to teach where additional students attend. Furthermore, it was good to be in Canberra …
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The member for Blain hates good news, Madam Speaker. He hates knowing that we are getting the teachers out there, we are getting more jobs and we are boosting this economy ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is a ridiculous proposition, Madam Speaker. Absolutely ridiculous.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. You might like to resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: You are being really provocative. You are like a naughty little kid in the classroom. There is an ex-principal sitting beside you. She should tell you ...
Mrs Braham: Yes, so just get on with it and speak up.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I will look at you and I will try to ignore him – he hates good news.
Madam SPEAKER: Please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The federal government’s election commitment of 200 additional teachers for the Territory is being rolled out. It was fantastic to have been in Canberra when Kevin Rudd, a courageous and great Prime Minister, issued the apology to the Stolen Generations ...
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: They hate this stuff. I was fortunate enough to have been in the Chamber and to see the Deputy Prime Minister - Australia’s first female Deputy Prime Minister, which all women in this parliament should be applauding - stand up and make an additional appropriation of $7.1m for the 2008 school year for recruitment, bringing forward the recruitment of 50 of these additional 200 teachers. The additional funding of $56.8m will be provided for the remaining 150 teachers over the years 2009 to 2011. I welcome this commitment, as does everybody on this side of parliament. We recognise the role that teachers play. I commend my federal colleagues for being prepared to join in with the Territory government with our Closing the Gap initiative and the federal government’s Closing the Gap initiative to have those additional teachers we need into the Territory as numbers increase.
We understand that there are nationwide difficulties in recruiting teachers, which formed part of my discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and the minister responsible federally for education, regarding why we need to grow our own. That is an important strategy and it certainly needs to be considered by both ourselves and the federal government to have a very targeted strategy in looking at our indigenous teachers within our education system, to professionally develop our own teachers. And not just indigenous teachers. A lot of our young people leave the Territory and go interstate, do teaching, and we lose them down south. It is about retaining our young people, keeping them here, growing them, and giving them the incentive to stay here. I am looking forward to having more discussions with my federal counterpart to look at how, with the department, we can get those initiatives happening.
A lot of the work that we have done since 2001 is in building the capacity of our agencies and particularly education. I thank the previous Education ministers because a lot of work in the policy changes and the resources that were needed, as with most of us as ministers when we have taken on these portfolios has been to do with a lack of infrastructure and resources. Our government, since 2001 through previous ministers, has built up those. I am fortunate to have that portfolio to try to turn around the disadvantage in our remote Aboriginal communities which, for too long, had been neglected under the previous regime. We are certainly looking at, once again, delivering better educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, more jobs, particularly local jobs and growing our own in the Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016