Ms SACILOTTO - 2006-05-04
Can you please advise the House whether the government will be writing to school councils about making school uniforms compulsory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, we will. I am a very strong supporter of school uniforms for primary school, and would love to see it introduced for middle school students when our middle school approach takes form. However, not senior school. We will look at primary, where many schools do already, and certainly middle school. When you think about why we have uniforms, they are very practical. For parents, and everyone here who has had a child in high school, they are very cost effective. I also believe they engender a sense of pride in schools when everyone is wearing a uniform, and a sense of belonging and, therefore, a sense of ownership of that school.
The minister will be writing to school councils getting feedback from them about this proposal, but I certainly ….
Mr Mills: You will have to get Sheila back to do some more consultation.
Mr Stirling: Probably.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: I know what the schools in my electorate feel. Darwin High School has done a lot of work about school uniforms. Parap is very strong on school uniforms and so is Stuart Park. It is important that we write to school councils and get them to survey their school community.
As a parent, I know the difference between having a child in a uniform and being able to wear what they choose. On a personal level, it would take enormous angst away from the mornings. Anyone who has experienced a child in those Years 8 and 9 getting dressed for school knows there are many changes of clothes that go on in the morning, the deadline gets closer and closer and it is often a meltdown. Therefore, to have a school uniform would save a lot of money and that angst that many parents are still going through in the morning.
Almost more important is that sense of pride in the school that we want to engender. We want to have students really feeling part of the school community, taking pride in being part of that school community. We have already put $50, at the start of this year, towards helping parents pay for school uniforms. That step has been taken along the way, which was an initiative greatly embraced with delight from parents right across the Territory.
What I, the Education minister and government is saying is, let us start this debate. However, from the minister and me, it is a very strong statement about adoption of school uniforms. They will make a difference. I do not mind putting on the record that I am a very strong advocate.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, we will. I am a very strong supporter of school uniforms for primary school, and would love to see it introduced for middle school students when our middle school approach takes form. However, not senior school. We will look at primary, where many schools do already, and certainly middle school. When you think about why we have uniforms, they are very practical. For parents, and everyone here who has had a child in high school, they are very cost effective. I also believe they engender a sense of pride in schools when everyone is wearing a uniform, and a sense of belonging and, therefore, a sense of ownership of that school.
The minister will be writing to school councils getting feedback from them about this proposal, but I certainly ….
Mr Mills: You will have to get Sheila back to do some more consultation.
Mr Stirling: Probably.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: I know what the schools in my electorate feel. Darwin High School has done a lot of work about school uniforms. Parap is very strong on school uniforms and so is Stuart Park. It is important that we write to school councils and get them to survey their school community.
As a parent, I know the difference between having a child in a uniform and being able to wear what they choose. On a personal level, it would take enormous angst away from the mornings. Anyone who has experienced a child in those Years 8 and 9 getting dressed for school knows there are many changes of clothes that go on in the morning, the deadline gets closer and closer and it is often a meltdown. Therefore, to have a school uniform would save a lot of money and that angst that many parents are still going through in the morning.
Almost more important is that sense of pride in the school that we want to engender. We want to have students really feeling part of the school community, taking pride in being part of that school community. We have already put $50, at the start of this year, towards helping parents pay for school uniforms. That step has been taken along the way, which was an initiative greatly embraced with delight from parents right across the Territory.
What I, the Education minister and government is saying is, let us start this debate. However, from the minister and me, it is a very strong statement about adoption of school uniforms. They will make a difference. I do not mind putting on the record that I am a very strong advocate.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016