Mr McCARTHY - 2015-12-02
Under your watch the number of assistant Indigenous teachers has been reduced by 40. The number of Indigenous classroom teachers has been reduced by nine. We have seen five Indigenous trainee teacher positions disappear. Not only are you cutting Indigenous jobs, you are deskilling Indigenous people training to lead their schools and communities. Please explain to this House why you are targeting Indigenous staff cuts in Territory schools.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think this is a disgusting question. This week we opened a new Transition unit. There are 13 Indigenous staff members in the new Transition unit.
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 20; the interruption level is getting out of hand.
Madam SPEAKER: I agree with you, Leader of Government Business. I want to hear the answer as well as the question. Please cease calling out from your chairs, otherwise you will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Mr CHANDLER: They get really riled about education because they hate to see the results. The Country Liberal government is delivering better results than the former Labor government. We are not using money as a measure of success in education; we are using results.
We do not have a cap on teacher or staff numbers. We are working on a number of programs in partnership with the federal government to increase attendance across the board. The key factor is to bring attendance rates up across the board, especially in our remote locations.
With the policies we are introducing, and from working with Nigel Scullion, the Senator in Canberra, these processes will work towards increasing attendance rates in the bush. With an increase in attendance, resources to schools also increase. That is the way the system works. There is no cap on resources based on attendance.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. You do not improve attendance rates by cutting Indigenous staff.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: We are getting better results than the former Labor government did. The mob over there failed in their duty.
I will not go past the intent. They were trying to give opportunities to students in the bush. I get it; that is great. But I put on the record again that you cannot provide the same level of educational opportunities at Yuendumu, Numbulwar, Borroloola or any other remote location as you do at Darwin High School.
Ms Fyles: You have no idea.
Mr CHANDLER: No, you have no idea. You tried and you failed. Look at the results when they were in government. We can go through the statistics and clearly show they were not getting the results. What do we need to do? Goodness gracious, they had …
Ms Walker: Shame on you.
Mr CHANDLER: No, shame on you! You had Year 12 students who could not read and write, but they passed your test. That is shameful.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. First, do not yell across the Chamber. Second, direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the member direct his comments through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated.
Mr CHANDLER: We put up with voiceovers, innuendos and vitriol. I am sorry; I apologise for getting a bit out of control, but I am passionate because the stats prove that under their watch …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think this is a disgusting question. This week we opened a new Transition unit. There are 13 Indigenous staff members in the new Transition unit.
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 20; the interruption level is getting out of hand.
Madam SPEAKER: I agree with you, Leader of Government Business. I want to hear the answer as well as the question. Please cease calling out from your chairs, otherwise you will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Mr CHANDLER: They get really riled about education because they hate to see the results. The Country Liberal government is delivering better results than the former Labor government. We are not using money as a measure of success in education; we are using results.
We do not have a cap on teacher or staff numbers. We are working on a number of programs in partnership with the federal government to increase attendance across the board. The key factor is to bring attendance rates up across the board, especially in our remote locations.
With the policies we are introducing, and from working with Nigel Scullion, the Senator in Canberra, these processes will work towards increasing attendance rates in the bush. With an increase in attendance, resources to schools also increase. That is the way the system works. There is no cap on resources based on attendance.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. You do not improve attendance rates by cutting Indigenous staff.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: We are getting better results than the former Labor government did. The mob over there failed in their duty.
I will not go past the intent. They were trying to give opportunities to students in the bush. I get it; that is great. But I put on the record again that you cannot provide the same level of educational opportunities at Yuendumu, Numbulwar, Borroloola or any other remote location as you do at Darwin High School.
Ms Fyles: You have no idea.
Mr CHANDLER: No, you have no idea. You tried and you failed. Look at the results when they were in government. We can go through the statistics and clearly show they were not getting the results. What do we need to do? Goodness gracious, they had …
Ms Walker: Shame on you.
Mr CHANDLER: No, shame on you! You had Year 12 students who could not read and write, but they passed your test. That is shameful.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. First, do not yell across the Chamber. Second, direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the member direct his comments through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated.
Mr CHANDLER: We put up with voiceovers, innuendos and vitriol. I am sorry; I apologise for getting a bit out of control, but I am passionate because the stats prove that under their watch …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016