Ms McCARTHY - 2006-10-11
Can the minister update the House on what work is being done to improve educational outcomes in the bush?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. Of all the issues in education, one of the stand out priorities of this government, established by my colleague, the former Education minister, is to improve education outcomes in the bush, learning outcomes, and also infrastructure. We all know the legacy of lack of investment in education in the bush. We have seen that in at least two generations of indigenous people very significantly under-achieving in terms of education outcomes, and a structure and infrastructure across the Northern Territory that has seen under-investment for many years. We are turning that around. The budget is just not big enough to wave a magic wand and see great improvement overnight, but we are seeing significant improvement.
Over the last five or six weeks that I have been in the portfolio, I have had the fortune to visit a number of bush communities and, very importantly, open a couple of new homeland schools, which was an absolute joy. I was at Emu Point School a few weeks ago with the member for Daly. Driving into that community, I could not believe it when I saw where the kids were being taught before. It was nothing other than a bark humpy, with no electricity, no water, a couple of tables and chairs, and that was the community school. I have huge respect for the teachers trying to teach in that school. I pay tribute to my colleague, the member for Nhulunbuy, who really worked to see that that school put on the program and funded. I had the fortune to open it.
Recently, with the member for Arnhem, I opened the new school at Manyallaluk, which was a fantastic community day. The community totally embraced that school and there was 100% attendance. It was the most significant thing that has happened for many, many years. The teachers are passionately committed. The Jawoyn Association representatives were there on the day, saying how important it was for the future of the Jawoyn people to have people coming out of that school, being able to read and write, so that they could participate in economic opportunities in the region with the infrastructure at Pine Creek. At the moment, we have a new $5m secondary facility to start construction at Wadeye, and a new school at Beswick to replace the school that gets flooded every year.
There is significant investment going into infrastructure into our bush schools. We are being caught, along with everybody else who is trying to build a house, build a new apartment, build an office block, across the Northern Territory, with rising costs. However, I give my commitment that I will keep driving these programs through to the best of my abilities. I look forward to reporting to the House in the not too distant future on what we are doing to improve those learning outcomes in the bush. The effort is there, the policy work is being done, and the money is going in. There is nothing more important than education in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. Of all the issues in education, one of the stand out priorities of this government, established by my colleague, the former Education minister, is to improve education outcomes in the bush, learning outcomes, and also infrastructure. We all know the legacy of lack of investment in education in the bush. We have seen that in at least two generations of indigenous people very significantly under-achieving in terms of education outcomes, and a structure and infrastructure across the Northern Territory that has seen under-investment for many years. We are turning that around. The budget is just not big enough to wave a magic wand and see great improvement overnight, but we are seeing significant improvement.
Over the last five or six weeks that I have been in the portfolio, I have had the fortune to visit a number of bush communities and, very importantly, open a couple of new homeland schools, which was an absolute joy. I was at Emu Point School a few weeks ago with the member for Daly. Driving into that community, I could not believe it when I saw where the kids were being taught before. It was nothing other than a bark humpy, with no electricity, no water, a couple of tables and chairs, and that was the community school. I have huge respect for the teachers trying to teach in that school. I pay tribute to my colleague, the member for Nhulunbuy, who really worked to see that that school put on the program and funded. I had the fortune to open it.
Recently, with the member for Arnhem, I opened the new school at Manyallaluk, which was a fantastic community day. The community totally embraced that school and there was 100% attendance. It was the most significant thing that has happened for many, many years. The teachers are passionately committed. The Jawoyn Association representatives were there on the day, saying how important it was for the future of the Jawoyn people to have people coming out of that school, being able to read and write, so that they could participate in economic opportunities in the region with the infrastructure at Pine Creek. At the moment, we have a new $5m secondary facility to start construction at Wadeye, and a new school at Beswick to replace the school that gets flooded every year.
There is significant investment going into infrastructure into our bush schools. We are being caught, along with everybody else who is trying to build a house, build a new apartment, build an office block, across the Northern Territory, with rising costs. However, I give my commitment that I will keep driving these programs through to the best of my abilities. I look forward to reporting to the House in the not too distant future on what we are doing to improve those learning outcomes in the bush. The effort is there, the policy work is being done, and the money is going in. There is nothing more important than education in the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016