Mrs BRAHAM - 1995-05-25
Does progress at the Berrimah Behaviour Management Centre warrant the expansion of this program to Katherine?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, behavioural problems in schools are a growing concern, although the good students of Millner Primary School and Palmerston Christian School would not have any behavioural problems, or certainly not of the kind that they have witnessed from members opposite this morning. Nevertheless, this is a growing concern because students with behavioural problems not only interrupt their own education, but interfere with the education of others in their classes.
The Territory has been very progressive and has been at the forefront in addressing those difficulties for some time. On national ABC radio only the other day, when the Director of the STAR centre, the Students at Risk centre at Berrimah, was being interviewed about the expansion of this program to Katherine, the reporter's lead was full of praise for the Northern Territory as a leader in behavioural management programs. That item said that the states could learn from the Northern Territory. I thought that that was an excellent accolade for Sandy Healey and her very good team at Berrimah.
I understand there are about 15 customers at Katherine who have been identified as having behavioural problems and who are potentially at risk. They will take advantage of this new facility. It has been trialled for the last 6 months, at the encouragement of the member for Katherine who was pretty keen to see advantage taken of a spare education officer and some facilities at the time. However, $102 000 per year to resource it will now be provided to staff a behavioural management centre at Katherine. The member for Braitling would be well aware that we have a behavioural management person in Alice Springs as well. I understand that that person is accessing the old Giles House facility for students in Alice Springs.
Linked with the Violence in Schools program, a new initiative this year, this all stacks up to better management of our schools. It ensures that students, who display from time to time inappropriate behaviour and attitudes, will not interfere with the ongoing education of their peers.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, behavioural problems in schools are a growing concern, although the good students of Millner Primary School and Palmerston Christian School would not have any behavioural problems, or certainly not of the kind that they have witnessed from members opposite this morning. Nevertheless, this is a growing concern because students with behavioural problems not only interrupt their own education, but interfere with the education of others in their classes.
The Territory has been very progressive and has been at the forefront in addressing those difficulties for some time. On national ABC radio only the other day, when the Director of the STAR centre, the Students at Risk centre at Berrimah, was being interviewed about the expansion of this program to Katherine, the reporter's lead was full of praise for the Northern Territory as a leader in behavioural management programs. That item said that the states could learn from the Northern Territory. I thought that that was an excellent accolade for Sandy Healey and her very good team at Berrimah.
I understand there are about 15 customers at Katherine who have been identified as having behavioural problems and who are potentially at risk. They will take advantage of this new facility. It has been trialled for the last 6 months, at the encouragement of the member for Katherine who was pretty keen to see advantage taken of a spare education officer and some facilities at the time. However, $102 000 per year to resource it will now be provided to staff a behavioural management centre at Katherine. The member for Braitling would be well aware that we have a behavioural management person in Alice Springs as well. I understand that that person is accessing the old Giles House facility for students in Alice Springs.
Linked with the Violence in Schools program, a new initiative this year, this all stacks up to better management of our schools. It ensures that students, who display from time to time inappropriate behaviour and attitudes, will not interfere with the ongoing education of their peers.
Page 615
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016