❓ The Minister for Education addresses support for students affected by the Iraq war, including trauma counselling, and condemns student truancy to attend anti-war rallies, urging parental responsibility.
AnsweredQoN 570Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister advise the House what government schools in Western Australia are doing to provide support to students in relation to the war in Iraq? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
In quite a number of schools in Western Australia - and also in the electorate of the member for Cottesloe - students have direct links with personnel who may be involved in the Iraq war. I asked the Department of Education and Training what support, if any, would be made available should it be required for students in those circumstances. The Department of Education and Training has said that it has people with skills in trauma counselling for young students and they will be made available to any student in any of our government schools who requires that sort of support. The department demonstrated how successful it could be with its response to the Bali bombing when quite a few students and staff in Western Australian government schools were directly affected by that. In the member for Vasse’s electorate there was a very severe impact on some of the staff at one of the schools. I thought the Department of Education and Training responded brilliantly to that situation. That dimension of the issue is well covered by the department’s capacity to respond. Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: In quite a number of schools in Western Australia - and also in the electorate of the member for Cottesloe - students have direct links with personnel who may be involved in the Iraq war. I asked the Department of Education and Training what support, if any, would be made available should it be required for students in those circumstances. The Department of Education and Training has said that it has people with skills in trauma counselling for young students and they will be made available to any student in any of our government schools who requires that sort of support. The department demonstrated how successful it could be with its response to the Bali bombing when quite a few students and staff in Western Australian government schools were directly affected by that. In the member for Vasse’s electorate there was a very severe impact on some of the staff at one of the schools. I thought the Department of Education and Training responded brilliantly to that situation. That dimension of the issue is well covered by the department’s capacity to respond. Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
In quite a number of schools in Western Australia - and also in the electorate of the member for Cottesloe - students have direct links with personnel who may be involved in the Iraq war. I asked the Department of Education and Training what support, if any, would be made available should it be required for students in those circumstances. The Department of Education and Training has said that it has people with skills in trauma counselling for young students and they will be made available to any student in any of our government schools who requires that sort of support. The department demonstrated how successful it could be with its response to the Bali bombing when quite a few students and staff in Western Australian government schools were directly affected by that. In the member for Vasse’s electorate there was a very severe impact on some of the staff at one of the schools. I thought the Department of Education and Training responded brilliantly to that situation. That dimension of the issue is well covered by the department’s capacity to respond. Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: In quite a number of schools in Western Australia - and also in the electorate of the member for Cottesloe - students have direct links with personnel who may be involved in the Iraq war. I asked the Department of Education and Training what support, if any, would be made available should it be required for students in those circumstances. The Department of Education and Training has said that it has people with skills in trauma counselling for young students and they will be made available to any student in any of our government schools who requires that sort of support. The department demonstrated how successful it could be with its response to the Bali bombing when quite a few students and staff in Western Australian government schools were directly affected by that. In the member for Vasse’s electorate there was a very severe impact on some of the staff at one of the schools. I thought the Department of Education and Training responded brilliantly to that situation. That dimension of the issue is well covered by the department’s capacity to respond. Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
In quite a number of schools in Western Australia - and also in the electorate of the member for Cottesloe - students have direct links with personnel who may be involved in the Iraq war. I asked the Department of Education and Training what support, if any, would be made available should it be required for students in those circumstances. The Department of Education and Training has said that it has people with skills in trauma counselling for young students and they will be made available to any student in any of our government schools who requires that sort of support. The department demonstrated how successful it could be with its response to the Bali bombing when quite a few students and staff in Western Australian government schools were directly affected by that. In the member for Vasse’s electorate there was a very severe impact on some of the staff at one of the schools. I thought the Department of Education and Training responded brilliantly to that situation. That dimension of the issue is well covered by the department’s capacity to respond. Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr M.J. Birney: Do you condone schoolchildren playing truant from school and taking part in protests against the war? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The other reason I am happy to address this issue is that I want to talk briefly about the issue the member for Kalgoorlie has just raised, and that is students from Western Australian schools absenting themselves from school on a Friday or whenever - one day a week it seems to be now - to go to anti-war rallies. My position is Minister for Education and Training, and it is good that the member is keeping up with current affairs. I am on the public record as strongly urging parents to take responsibility for their children and to make sure they are at school. I do not condone students taking the day off to go to an anti-war rally. I strongly suggest that every person has a right to protest; every person has a right to indicate his or her opinion on this or any other issue. As everybody in this Chamber knows, there are very strong views in the community about this issue on both sides of the debate, and there are groups in the middle who are undecided about the wisdom of our involvement in the war, but we cannot have large numbers of school students absenting themselves from school, with or without parental permission, to go to a demonstration in the city centre in uncontrolled and realistically dangerous situations as we saw last week. This is a very bad situation for young people to put themselves in. It is a very unfortunate outcome if school-aged children are being arrested or are being involved in violent situations. Every other education minister and Premier in Australia is making it clear that we expect parents to accept responsibility for their children and ensure that they are at school where they belong. I do not ask or require that the education system and individual schools pursue parents and children and punish them. Parents have to take responsibility for their children. In too many instances now the responsibility is loaded onto the education system or the schools. Parents have responsibility for their children. Despite the incredibly strong views that some people have and their desire to see their children express their views in protest or in any other way, when schools are open that is where children should be. Enough is enough. Over the past two weeks large numbers of students have been absenting themselves and going to these protest rallies. It cannot go on. This war could be very protracted; it could go on for months or even longer. Parents of students in Western Australia should accept their responsibilities and not pass them off onto other people; they should make sure that when school is on, their children are there.
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