Page 200 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
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ADJOURNMENT
MR SPEAKER: It being 4 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Whalan: I require that the question be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
EQUALITY FOR WOMEN
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
Debate resumed.
MR MOORE: I go back to speaking of being at home and realising some of the issues that affect women. I remember on many occasions being part of the local Nursing Mothers' Association group and providing morning tea as was my turn and discussing the benefits or disbenefits of breastfeeding. I learned a great deal at that time, I have no need to tell you.
A member: You were not equipped.
MR MOORE: Yes, the equipment I certainly lacked. In fact, on many occasions I actually had to take over my wife's class while she fed the baby, who at that stage was still 100 per cent breastfed. It is fortunate that we are both teachers.
That leads me on to education. One area of education that has been under threat in many ways is the preschools. It is there at the preschools that attitudes are fostered and propensity for a different style of work is made. There is a great deal of evidence to show, for example, that when children play with blocks girls tend to build their blocks out in a spread, and boys tend to build their blocks in a pyramid style fashion. That may seem to mean very little, but research has shown that the way these small children play is particularly important. Such play forms the basis for mathematical concepts.
We are all aware that the current situation right through school is that girls tend not to be good at maths and that boys tend not to be so good at verbal skills. Teachers are very much aware of that and are working hard on it, but we need to ensure that the preschools and schools have the support so that children, particularly coming from homes where such things are not recognised, are given the opportunity in the preschools to ensure that those sorts of concepts are given the basis at that sort of age.
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