Mr MILLS - 2007-11-28
Last Friday night, Casuarina Senior College celebrated its Year 12 graduation, an event you failed to attend. The teachers and staff have had a trying year and have accomplished much despite a lack of support from you and your department. This includes buildings not ready for the start of the year, inadequate toilets and canteen facilities, changes to principals, building works threatening Year 12 exams, and although in private, continual disparagement of the college by senior executives in your department. Now we find the extraordinary situation where faculties need to be combined for 2008 due to a lack of funding. Why don’t you and your senior executives in your department support this wonderful college?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain. I agree with the last two words of his question, which were that Casuarina Senior College is a wonderful college. In respect of the snide remark that I failed to attend the Year 12 graduation, I was in Alice Springs for the Brolga Awards and the member for Johnston was at the Year 12 graduation. I was certainly at the Year 12 graduation night last year where I handed out all Year 12 certificates, and I did not notice that the member for Blain was there.
Casuarina Senior College has had a fantastic year. I have visited Casuarina Senior College as the Education minister on three occasions at least. I have met the School Council on two occasions and I have taken a very keen interest in the continued growth at the college. What the member for Blain failed to state in what was a very churlish and derogatory comment about senior members of DEET – and I forget the adjective he used - failing to support Casuarina Senior College, it’s okay to come in here, member for Blain, and have a go at me, but leave public servants alone.
Those public servants do a fantastic job on behalf of Territorians and they do not need to be publicly vilified in here by the member for Blain. Casuarina Senior College has had a fantastic year. There were record enrolments; which are a testament to the confidence that parents in our northern suburbs have in Casuarina Senior College. The college is moving from strength to strength. We do not back away one iota from our middle years reforms, to introduce middle year reforms to strengthen the senior secondary school. For Year 10’s going into Casuarina this year, of course it has been a difficult year. Any major change is going to be difficult.
When I attended a school council meeting a few weeks ago with the member for Johnston, who is a fantastic supporter of Casuarina Senior College, I did not pick up a level of hostility towards the public service or the government. There where issues about funding and the number of executive teachers, but there is a significant increase in resources going to Casuarina Senior College from next year compared with last year. For teacher positions, I think it is an additional three or four positions overall. If I am wrong in that, I will correct the public record, but the resources are going in.
At any school or workplace in the Northern Territory, people will always say: ‘Yes, we can do with more,’ but I have every confidence in Casuarina Senior College. They continue to turn out fantastic Year 12 results. That is going to strengthen in the future with the Year 10s moving in. I congratulate Casuarina Senior College for the way they have embraced the VET programs in schools, the number of WorkReady students who will be signing up next year at Casuarina Senior College. What they are crying out for, if Territory businesses are listening to this broadcast, is that we want Territory businesses to step forward to host these young students to give them opportunities in the workplace, because we have more kids now seeking opportunities in the workplace through VET in Schools programs and school-based apprentices than we have businesses to place them in.
So to businesses in the Northern Territory, please step up because our education system is really delivering for business and the economy. The member for Blain does himself no good coming in here and bagging public servants. It is absolutely offensive.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain. I agree with the last two words of his question, which were that Casuarina Senior College is a wonderful college. In respect of the snide remark that I failed to attend the Year 12 graduation, I was in Alice Springs for the Brolga Awards and the member for Johnston was at the Year 12 graduation. I was certainly at the Year 12 graduation night last year where I handed out all Year 12 certificates, and I did not notice that the member for Blain was there.
Casuarina Senior College has had a fantastic year. I have visited Casuarina Senior College as the Education minister on three occasions at least. I have met the School Council on two occasions and I have taken a very keen interest in the continued growth at the college. What the member for Blain failed to state in what was a very churlish and derogatory comment about senior members of DEET – and I forget the adjective he used - failing to support Casuarina Senior College, it’s okay to come in here, member for Blain, and have a go at me, but leave public servants alone.
Those public servants do a fantastic job on behalf of Territorians and they do not need to be publicly vilified in here by the member for Blain. Casuarina Senior College has had a fantastic year. There were record enrolments; which are a testament to the confidence that parents in our northern suburbs have in Casuarina Senior College. The college is moving from strength to strength. We do not back away one iota from our middle years reforms, to introduce middle year reforms to strengthen the senior secondary school. For Year 10’s going into Casuarina this year, of course it has been a difficult year. Any major change is going to be difficult.
When I attended a school council meeting a few weeks ago with the member for Johnston, who is a fantastic supporter of Casuarina Senior College, I did not pick up a level of hostility towards the public service or the government. There where issues about funding and the number of executive teachers, but there is a significant increase in resources going to Casuarina Senior College from next year compared with last year. For teacher positions, I think it is an additional three or four positions overall. If I am wrong in that, I will correct the public record, but the resources are going in.
At any school or workplace in the Northern Territory, people will always say: ‘Yes, we can do with more,’ but I have every confidence in Casuarina Senior College. They continue to turn out fantastic Year 12 results. That is going to strengthen in the future with the Year 10s moving in. I congratulate Casuarina Senior College for the way they have embraced the VET programs in schools, the number of WorkReady students who will be signing up next year at Casuarina Senior College. What they are crying out for, if Territory businesses are listening to this broadcast, is that we want Territory businesses to step forward to host these young students to give them opportunities in the workplace, because we have more kids now seeking opportunities in the workplace through VET in Schools programs and school-based apprentices than we have businesses to place them in.
So to businesses in the Northern Territory, please step up because our education system is really delivering for business and the economy. The member for Blain does himself no good coming in here and bagging public servants. It is absolutely offensive.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016