Page 2133 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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School Closures
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is also to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education. I refer to the election policy issued by the Australian Labor Party in the ACT which reads in part, "in general, no school will be closed or amalgamated unless the school community agrees". Will the Minister confirm that this principle applies to preschools, and will he confirm that no preschool will close unless the preschool community agrees? If the Minister is unable to supply a clear yes to that question, can he outline what in his view distinguishes preschools and schools on this issue?
MR WHALAN: There are a number of distinctions between preschool education and early childhood education in the schooling system as it is presently structured. There have been suggestions from certain responsible quarters for changing some of the boundaries between early education so that there is greater integration of what we currently recognise as preschool education and the lower grades, what used to be called the infant grades. For organisational reasons, but mainly based on sound educational reasons, there seems to be one argument for developing a particular area of early childhood education which would pick up some of the existing school system. The fact is that there is a fundamental difference between the school system and the preschool system. Schooling is compulsory in the school system - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I did not ask the Minister to explain the difference between preschools and schools. I am merely asking him to explain whether or not the principle that schools must be consulted before they are closed applies also to preschools and, if the answer to that is not yes, to explain the difference between those two situations.
MR SPEAKER: Minister, the question is obvious, I believe.
MR WHALAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The essential distinction is that they are different management systems and that schooling is compulsory whereas preschool education is not. As to the question of consultation in relation to closures or amalgamations, the Government is committed to consultation. I would refer members to one of the recommendations of the Chase committee report. They might recall that the Chase committee report came out of the controversy surrounding attempts by the Commonwealth Government to introduce a preschool fee and the - - -
Mr Humphries: Answer the question. I do not care about the Chase report. Just answer the question.
MR WHALAN: In fact, it is relevant, and I will show you why it is relevant in a moment. The Chase committee was an inquiry which came out of the controversy surrounding the preschool fee. The Chase committee - which included
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