Mrs BRAHAM - 1997-02-20
I was interested to see the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Stuart announce new Labor policies in respect of truancy from Territory schools earlier this month. The member for Stuart elaborated on some of his personal theories last night in the adjournment debate. The opposition is now claiming that recent juvenile court cases are a direct result of truancy. Could the minister comment on this policy?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, firstly, I acknowledge that the shadow spokesman on education has endorsed quite comprehensively, through 80% of his new, you-beaut policy, pre-existing and well-proven policies and programs of the Northern Territory government. Go right through
Page 1930
them and you will find there is only one area where we differ, and that is in that we do not intend to reintroduce the truancy hit squad. We are by no means convinced that a reintroduction of the previously existing truancy squad would resolve anything.
He acknowledges the 400 officers, many of whom are directly involved in attendance programs, and many others indirectly but effectively as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education workers, Aboriginal research officers, school liaison officers, Aboriginal assistant teachers and so on. Of course, in that list, I have not included the role and responsibility of school principals and teachers or school councils and Feppi committees, not to mention all of the other resources such as the vehicles that are used to pick up kids and ensure they get to school. The honourable member acknowledged the STAR programs last night in the Assembly.
I want to take the opposition to task over the very deliberate misinterpretation of figures and statistics. Opposition members suggest there is 30% truancy in the bush. In fact, a 70% attendance rate and 30% non-attendance rate does not mean 30% truancy. Members opposite well and truly know that. Nearly all of them represent bush electorates. They know that some of the kids not attending are sick. They know that some of them have gone bush with the family. They know that some of them are participating in ceremonial obligations.
The member for Stuart purports to be the guru on education. He had a great accolade from the member for Arnhem last night when that member said he is the academic and the intellectual of their bunch. Methinks that he has spent too much time glued in front of the computer, surfing the Internet. Let us see where this man has been surfing. It has not been down at Bondi. It has been in North America. He had a flick through some of the graphics.
Mr Stirling: A lot cheaper than your trip, Fred.
Mr FINCH: Let us have a look at this one. What relevance to an Aboriginal school in the Territory are kids in raincoats in North America? Here is their solution: `Let's get a lollypop man in a raincoat!' Is that relevant to downtown Yuendumu? What about some of the other grabs off the Internet?
Mr Stirling: How much was that United States trip?
Mr FINCH: How about Pennsylvania or Palm Beach?
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: Let me just put this next question to the honourable member.
Mr Stirling: It is not a good issue for you, Fred.
Mr FINCH: We have been working on truancy for some time and doing very well. Let me just ask this question ...
Mr Bailey: When are you going to reply to the PAC report on education?
Page 1931
Mr POOLE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Standing order 69, interruption of members, is quite specific. I ask you to use that standing order to stop this incessant conversation from the opposition benches which prevents Territorians from hearing what is happening in Question Time.
Mr SPEAKER: I believe a reasonable level of interjection can be tolerated. However, at times, members shout and scream across the Chamber. When they talk over the top of the Speaker when the Speaker is calling for order, that is unacceptable. As members heard earlier today, I am prepared to call those members to order and to take action accordingly.
Mr FINCH: Let me ask the member for Stuart about his expertise and experience in this area. Let me ask him about a very large bush community school with an attendance rate at about the bottom of the pack - 10% to 15% below the average. He acknowledges that some school communities are able to achieve an attendance rate of almost 100%.
Mr Toyne: Yes, I do.
Mr FINCH: He is an educator, who is highly trained academically, a highly skilled technologist and an expert in information technology. How was his performance? What was the attendance rate when he took over at the local school, and what was the attendance rate when he finished? Let me put it into perspective. Here we have the opposition's educational expert and expert on truancy, a man who has the local community's interests at heart. He knows every member of that community, and he knows what is required to put a stop to truancy. During his period with the school, did or did not absenteeism increase?
Mr Toyne: It did not. You are misleading parliament if you say ...
Mr FINCH: Or did it decline? Did it or did it not? Was it among the worst in the Territory?
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: He is the man who is going to tell us how to do it. However, to tell us how to do it, he has to fly off and surf on the Internet to get to North America.
Mr Stirling: No, he didn't fly off, Fred - you did!
Mr FINCH: Maybe ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: He might like to take on a suggestion ...
Page 1932
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat. Member for Nhulunbuy, I have warned you once this morning. I warn you again.
Mr Stirling: I am sorry, but it was worth it.
Mr SPEAKER: Be aware that the next time you will be named.
Mr FINCH: I noticed this small newspaper article reflecting on a British initiative. Apparently, they intend to put little electronic tracers on truant kids. I think that is rather over the top. However, being the electronic genius that he is, I wonder if this is the sort of tactic that the member for Stuart may have in mind. The big-stick approach that these people are ready ...
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: They say that we should use the big stick and fine the parents $200. If they cannot pay the $200, they will put them in jail. I ask those people opposite - the experts on matters Aboriginal - which person in the community, which family member, they intend to hold responsible for truancy?
Mr Bailey: You are the ones who passed parental responsibility laws.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: It is a very simple question ...
Mr Bailey: However, you have never used them.
Mr FINCH: In the Aboriginal context, is it the natural parent who is to be held responsible for a child's truancy?
Mr Toyne: I could give you a long answer to that, but ...
Mr FINCH: You cannot give me an answer because, in a practical sense, you are off in cloud-cuckoo-land. Get out of the Internet and back on the job.
In relation to juvenile crime and the recent offences, the member for Stuart says again that it is all because of truancy. During school holidays, there are no truants. In December and January, how many kids are truants? A significant amount of the crime occurs on Friday and Saturday nights and on Sundays. Is truancy a factor then? If these young offenders are attending night school, it might be possible, but I do not think that is the case. Of the kids who are picked up during school hours for offences, a number are over 15 years and have left school. Indeed, some have been kicked out of school. Are they truanting? Of course they are not. Let us bury this rubbish of members opposite seeking to attribute all juvenile crime to truancy. In fact, only a very small percentage of that is down to children who should be in school but who are out of school.
Page 1933
Truancy is of concern to this government. This government will continue to put in police resources - school-based constables. It will continue with all the other programs, using 400 personnel with responsibilities for attendance at schools. This government is all about action. We ain't about surfing the Internet in North America.
Page 1934
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, firstly, I acknowledge that the shadow spokesman on education has endorsed quite comprehensively, through 80% of his new, you-beaut policy, pre-existing and well-proven policies and programs of the Northern Territory government. Go right through
Page 1930
them and you will find there is only one area where we differ, and that is in that we do not intend to reintroduce the truancy hit squad. We are by no means convinced that a reintroduction of the previously existing truancy squad would resolve anything.
He acknowledges the 400 officers, many of whom are directly involved in attendance programs, and many others indirectly but effectively as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education workers, Aboriginal research officers, school liaison officers, Aboriginal assistant teachers and so on. Of course, in that list, I have not included the role and responsibility of school principals and teachers or school councils and Feppi committees, not to mention all of the other resources such as the vehicles that are used to pick up kids and ensure they get to school. The honourable member acknowledged the STAR programs last night in the Assembly.
I want to take the opposition to task over the very deliberate misinterpretation of figures and statistics. Opposition members suggest there is 30% truancy in the bush. In fact, a 70% attendance rate and 30% non-attendance rate does not mean 30% truancy. Members opposite well and truly know that. Nearly all of them represent bush electorates. They know that some of the kids not attending are sick. They know that some of them have gone bush with the family. They know that some of them are participating in ceremonial obligations.
The member for Stuart purports to be the guru on education. He had a great accolade from the member for Arnhem last night when that member said he is the academic and the intellectual of their bunch. Methinks that he has spent too much time glued in front of the computer, surfing the Internet. Let us see where this man has been surfing. It has not been down at Bondi. It has been in North America. He had a flick through some of the graphics.
Mr Stirling: A lot cheaper than your trip, Fred.
Mr FINCH: Let us have a look at this one. What relevance to an Aboriginal school in the Territory are kids in raincoats in North America? Here is their solution: `Let's get a lollypop man in a raincoat!' Is that relevant to downtown Yuendumu? What about some of the other grabs off the Internet?
Mr Stirling: How much was that United States trip?
Mr FINCH: How about Pennsylvania or Palm Beach?
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: Let me just put this next question to the honourable member.
Mr Stirling: It is not a good issue for you, Fred.
Mr FINCH: We have been working on truancy for some time and doing very well. Let me just ask this question ...
Mr Bailey: When are you going to reply to the PAC report on education?
Page 1931
Mr POOLE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! Standing order 69, interruption of members, is quite specific. I ask you to use that standing order to stop this incessant conversation from the opposition benches which prevents Territorians from hearing what is happening in Question Time.
Mr SPEAKER: I believe a reasonable level of interjection can be tolerated. However, at times, members shout and scream across the Chamber. When they talk over the top of the Speaker when the Speaker is calling for order, that is unacceptable. As members heard earlier today, I am prepared to call those members to order and to take action accordingly.
Mr FINCH: Let me ask the member for Stuart about his expertise and experience in this area. Let me ask him about a very large bush community school with an attendance rate at about the bottom of the pack - 10% to 15% below the average. He acknowledges that some school communities are able to achieve an attendance rate of almost 100%.
Mr Toyne: Yes, I do.
Mr FINCH: He is an educator, who is highly trained academically, a highly skilled technologist and an expert in information technology. How was his performance? What was the attendance rate when he took over at the local school, and what was the attendance rate when he finished? Let me put it into perspective. Here we have the opposition's educational expert and expert on truancy, a man who has the local community's interests at heart. He knows every member of that community, and he knows what is required to put a stop to truancy. During his period with the school, did or did not absenteeism increase?
Mr Toyne: It did not. You are misleading parliament if you say ...
Mr FINCH: Or did it decline? Did it or did it not? Was it among the worst in the Territory?
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: He is the man who is going to tell us how to do it. However, to tell us how to do it, he has to fly off and surf on the Internet to get to North America.
Mr Stirling: No, he didn't fly off, Fred - you did!
Mr FINCH: Maybe ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: He might like to take on a suggestion ...
Page 1932
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat. Member for Nhulunbuy, I have warned you once this morning. I warn you again.
Mr Stirling: I am sorry, but it was worth it.
Mr SPEAKER: Be aware that the next time you will be named.
Mr FINCH: I noticed this small newspaper article reflecting on a British initiative. Apparently, they intend to put little electronic tracers on truant kids. I think that is rather over the top. However, being the electronic genius that he is, I wonder if this is the sort of tactic that the member for Stuart may have in mind. The big-stick approach that these people are ready ...
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: They say that we should use the big stick and fine the parents $200. If they cannot pay the $200, they will put them in jail. I ask those people opposite - the experts on matters Aboriginal - which person in the community, which family member, they intend to hold responsible for truancy?
Mr Bailey: You are the ones who passed parental responsibility laws.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: It is a very simple question ...
Mr Bailey: However, you have never used them.
Mr FINCH: In the Aboriginal context, is it the natural parent who is to be held responsible for a child's truancy?
Mr Toyne: I could give you a long answer to that, but ...
Mr FINCH: You cannot give me an answer because, in a practical sense, you are off in cloud-cuckoo-land. Get out of the Internet and back on the job.
In relation to juvenile crime and the recent offences, the member for Stuart says again that it is all because of truancy. During school holidays, there are no truants. In December and January, how many kids are truants? A significant amount of the crime occurs on Friday and Saturday nights and on Sundays. Is truancy a factor then? If these young offenders are attending night school, it might be possible, but I do not think that is the case. Of the kids who are picked up during school hours for offences, a number are over 15 years and have left school. Indeed, some have been kicked out of school. Are they truanting? Of course they are not. Let us bury this rubbish of members opposite seeking to attribute all juvenile crime to truancy. In fact, only a very small percentage of that is down to children who should be in school but who are out of school.
Page 1933
Truancy is of concern to this government. This government will continue to put in police resources - school-based constables. It will continue with all the other programs, using 400 personnel with responsibilities for attendance at schools. This government is all about action. We ain't about surfing the Internet in North America.
Page 1934
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016