❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions Premier Colin Barnett on the delayed implementation of promised parenting hubs in schools and the release of a related report. The Premier defends the delay, citing the complexity of addressing issues faced by vulnerable children.
AnsweredQoN 18Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS — PARENTING HUBS
18. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's promise in December 2010
when he said that the next budget would include money for capital works to
begin turning schools into parenting hubs where general practitioners would
visit school sites.
(1) Why did the Premier not honour this promise in the last
budget?
(2) When will
the Premier release the report of the Early Years Collaborative Project Team
that he received in August 2011 on how to support on-the-ground collaboration
between child health, early education and child care on school sites?
(3) Has the
Premier created any early childhood centres on school sites other than those
funded by the federal government?
18. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's promise in December 2010
when he said that the next budget would include money for capital works to
begin turning schools into parenting hubs where general practitioners would
visit school sites.
(1) Why did the Premier not honour this promise in the last
budget?
(2) When will
the Premier release the report of the Early Years Collaborative Project Team
that he received in August 2011 on how to support on-the-ground collaboration
between child health, early education and child care on school sites?
(3) Has the
Premier created any early childhood centres on school sites other than those
funded by the federal government?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
Again, I think it would have been better to have asked the question of my
colleague the Minister for Education.
Mr M. McGowan : It's
your promise.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes, however —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : A great deal of work has taken place between the Minister for
Education, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Child Protection. Very
shortly, we will be detailing exactly which schools and which services will be
provided on them. I think members should be pleased and should support that. We
have again done this properly and it will make a fundamental difference to
children attending those schools and younger children in families associated
with the school.
In many of the lower socioeconomic areas, sadly, children
often have very disturbed lives and very inconsistent lives. They are often in
transient situations. Sometimes for those children the only thing of stability
in their life is their school. I can remember from my time as education
minister—a long time ago now—visiting a school in the northern
suburbs where a little boy was sleeping in the schoolyard. The teachers
discovered that after three or four nights and the reason he was sleeping there
was that he did not want to go home, he was afraid to go home, and the only
thing he had was the school stability. With the Minister for Education, last
year I visited another school in the southern suburbs and the school principal
outlined to us how children in that school did not look forward to summer
holidays. How sad is that? They did not look forward to summer holidays because
of the abuse, the inconsistency, the drunkenness. It is a sad indictment on our
community and that is why we have taken some time. Yes, the Leader of the
Opposition may criticise us for that, but I think even he will be, if not
surprised, I would hope he would have the good sense about children in this
state to applaud what the Minister for Education will announce not too far
away.
Again, I think it would have been better to have asked the question of my
colleague the Minister for Education.
Mr M. McGowan : It's
your promise.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes, however —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : A great deal of work has taken place between the Minister for
Education, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Child Protection. Very
shortly, we will be detailing exactly which schools and which services will be
provided on them. I think members should be pleased and should support that. We
have again done this properly and it will make a fundamental difference to
children attending those schools and younger children in families associated
with the school.
In many of the lower socioeconomic areas, sadly, children
often have very disturbed lives and very inconsistent lives. They are often in
transient situations. Sometimes for those children the only thing of stability
in their life is their school. I can remember from my time as education
minister—a long time ago now—visiting a school in the northern
suburbs where a little boy was sleeping in the schoolyard. The teachers
discovered that after three or four nights and the reason he was sleeping there
was that he did not want to go home, he was afraid to go home, and the only
thing he had was the school stability. With the Minister for Education, last
year I visited another school in the southern suburbs and the school principal
outlined to us how children in that school did not look forward to summer
holidays. How sad is that? They did not look forward to summer holidays because
of the abuse, the inconsistency, the drunkenness. It is a sad indictment on our
community and that is why we have taken some time. Yes, the Leader of the
Opposition may criticise us for that, but I think even he will be, if not
surprised, I would hope he would have the good sense about children in this
state to applaud what the Minister for Education will announce not too far
away.
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