❓ Minister for Education addresses upgrades to Roebourne District High School, highlighting a $94 million investment and partnership with Woodside Energy. She criticizes opposition comments on regional school investment and defends the government's comprehensive approach to education.
AnsweredQoN 125Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Roebourne District High School
125. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to delivering quality infrastructure and services
across our state.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the major
upgrades to Roebourne District High School and ongoing work to improve student
engagement?
(2) Is the minister aware of any risk to our
positive initiatives to engage more students in schools?
125. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to delivering quality infrastructure and services
across our state.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the major
upgrades to Roebourne District High School and ongoing work to improve student
engagement?
(2) Is the minister aware of any risk to our
positive initiatives to engage more students in schools?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Pilbara for
the question and for his strong advocacy for his community, and particularly
for his advocacy for schools throughout the Pilbara. It was a privilege to be
in his patch again with the Premier last week at Roebourne District High School,
where we got to see the incredible investment that was made in that school,
which really amounts to almost a total rebuild of a school. It was a $94
million investment. It is a significant redevelopment and we can tell the
difference that it is making. This investment has seen the redevelopment of the
entire primary school, the language centre, the student services, the
performing arts space, the library and cafeteria, as well as a brand-new high
school.
I also want to put on the record
and thank Woodside Energy, of course, for its contribution of $20 million as
part of the Resource Community Investment Initiative. It is great to partner
with industry and to support them in working together to put back into the
communities of the Pilbara.
I am really proud to be
supporting and delivering upgrades right around the state, for the schools right
around the state. I have spent years, as many members know, teaching
particularly in remote areas. I am well aware of the challenges that teachers,
students and parents face. I am well aware of the difference great
infrastructure has in making sure great stuff happens in our schools. I want to
say that I was rather disappointed to read that one of the regional opposition
members in the other place, Hon Julie Freeman, thinks that it is wasteful. She
thinks that it is wasteful to invest in regional communities and schools. In
fact, she told the ABC last month that "all the beautiful buildings in the
world are not going to make a scrap of difference". Later on this
afternoon during private members' business, I might remind regional members, no
doubt when they get to their feet and talk about investing in regional schools,
that apparently the Nationals in the upper house do not think that new
beautiful buildings make a scrap of difference. I saw firsthand, as did the—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the National Party.
Point of order
Mr Peter Rundle: I have a point of order. I think it
would be good if the minister actually spoke about the whole context of what
Hon Julie Freeman said. It was about school attendance—tying that into
school attendance.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, thank you. Points of order are
heard in silence. I am not upholding that point of order, member for Roe.
Minister, can you start to conclude your comments, please?
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Sabine Winton: Thank you. I saw firsthand the
strong connection to great infrastructure and the difference it makes to
teachers, ed assistants, students and the whole school community and the pride
that that community has in the new infrastructure. It will make a difference
and we know it is making a difference. Of course—
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe.
Ms Sabine Winton: Those
comments were a complete misrepresentation because that implies that all our government
does is build new infrastructure. We actually do that and more, particularly in
Roebourne, which is the site of one of our Connected Community schools. We know
that we need great infrastructure, but we also need support programs in schools
that address issues to support students and families, including attendance, as
the member for Roe highlighted. We continue to invest in infrastructure and
support services for schools. As ministers, we often look to the opposition—it
has been 12 months—for snippets of policy development, and I am yet to
hear anything on the education front.
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe!
Ms Sabine Winton: I am yet to hear of any policy. I am
acutely interested in any policy developments so that we can have a proper
debate. I was particularly interested to hear the comments made by the Leader
of the Opposition last week. I saw his first snippet when it comes to education
when he responded to a Sydney private school's plan to manage poor behaviour in
toilets. The opposition came up with a policy on the run. The Leader of the
Opposition actually suggested that instead of focusing on their classrooms,
teachers should be following single students into the bathroom and standing
there until they finish going to the toilet.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Sabine Winton: That is the first policy position I
have seen in 12 months. It is a rather interesting one because it is hard to
imagine that parents want teachers anywhere but in the classroom teaching,
which is the same place that I want teachers and where parents want teachers,
but apparently the Leader of the Opposition thinks that teachers
should not be in the classroom. Members of the opposition would do well to
follow the advice that we give students, and that is to think before you open
your mouth.
the question and for his strong advocacy for his community, and particularly
for his advocacy for schools throughout the Pilbara. It was a privilege to be
in his patch again with the Premier last week at Roebourne District High School,
where we got to see the incredible investment that was made in that school,
which really amounts to almost a total rebuild of a school. It was a $94
million investment. It is a significant redevelopment and we can tell the
difference that it is making. This investment has seen the redevelopment of the
entire primary school, the language centre, the student services, the
performing arts space, the library and cafeteria, as well as a brand-new high
school.
I also want to put on the record
and thank Woodside Energy, of course, for its contribution of $20 million as
part of the Resource Community Investment Initiative. It is great to partner
with industry and to support them in working together to put back into the
communities of the Pilbara.
I am really proud to be
supporting and delivering upgrades right around the state, for the schools right
around the state. I have spent years, as many members know, teaching
particularly in remote areas. I am well aware of the challenges that teachers,
students and parents face. I am well aware of the difference great
infrastructure has in making sure great stuff happens in our schools. I want to
say that I was rather disappointed to read that one of the regional opposition
members in the other place, Hon Julie Freeman, thinks that it is wasteful. She
thinks that it is wasteful to invest in regional communities and schools. In
fact, she told the ABC last month that "all the beautiful buildings in the
world are not going to make a scrap of difference". Later on this
afternoon during private members' business, I might remind regional members, no
doubt when they get to their feet and talk about investing in regional schools,
that apparently the Nationals in the upper house do not think that new
beautiful buildings make a scrap of difference. I saw firsthand, as did the—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the National Party.
Point of order
Mr Peter Rundle: I have a point of order. I think it
would be good if the minister actually spoke about the whole context of what
Hon Julie Freeman said. It was about school attendance—tying that into
school attendance.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, thank you. Points of order are
heard in silence. I am not upholding that point of order, member for Roe.
Minister, can you start to conclude your comments, please?
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Sabine Winton: Thank you. I saw firsthand the
strong connection to great infrastructure and the difference it makes to
teachers, ed assistants, students and the whole school community and the pride
that that community has in the new infrastructure. It will make a difference
and we know it is making a difference. Of course—
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe.
Ms Sabine Winton: Those
comments were a complete misrepresentation because that implies that all our government
does is build new infrastructure. We actually do that and more, particularly in
Roebourne, which is the site of one of our Connected Community schools. We know
that we need great infrastructure, but we also need support programs in schools
that address issues to support students and families, including attendance, as
the member for Roe highlighted. We continue to invest in infrastructure and
support services for schools. As ministers, we often look to the opposition—it
has been 12 months—for snippets of policy development, and I am yet to
hear anything on the education front.
Mr Peter Rundle interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Roe!
Ms Sabine Winton: I am yet to hear of any policy. I am
acutely interested in any policy developments so that we can have a proper
debate. I was particularly interested to hear the comments made by the Leader
of the Opposition last week. I saw his first snippet when it comes to education
when he responded to a Sydney private school's plan to manage poor behaviour in
toilets. The opposition came up with a policy on the run. The Leader of the
Opposition actually suggested that instead of focusing on their classrooms,
teachers should be following single students into the bathroom and standing
there until they finish going to the toilet.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Sabine Winton: That is the first policy position I
have seen in 12 months. It is a rather interesting one because it is hard to
imagine that parents want teachers anywhere but in the classroom teaching,
which is the same place that I want teachers and where parents want teachers,
but apparently the Leader of the Opposition thinks that teachers
should not be in the classroom. Members of the opposition would do well to
follow the advice that we give students, and that is to think before you open
your mouth.
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