Page 2617 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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child, was born in 1934, my mother effectively became a de facto single parent. It was the Depression; my father was unemployed; he was wandering around shipyard sites all over Britain unsuccessfully looking for work. My mother was a nurse and so I was put into various foster situations. I went from a school in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, when I was six years old to three different primary schools in Northern Ireland. Then I was put into Dr Barnado's Homes. I was in Barnado's Homes for several years and in foster homes in Stepney in London, Acton in Suffolk, and in Shoreham and Horsham in Sussex, where my family was reunited during the war, owing to that war economy.
Therefore, I must have gone to six or seven different primary schools. As I look back on it - and those were very, very grim times - I cannot really believe that I regarded those changes as being a hardship. Indeed, I think it was good that one had so many experiences. Therefore, I do not necessarily want to believe the kinds of assertions that one hears all the time that somehow or other the movement of children from one school to another is so desperately awful. In fact, far from it. I believe there is a challenge in change, a challenge even in disruption.
We certainly understand the passion that lies behind this. I understand the passion of disrupted communities, and those communities are not merely the communities of children; they are of the parents and, especially, of the mothers. I understand that but I also believe that with care, with the kind of planning that I hope would be proper in this city in particular, we can rebuild communities and networks. Although I understand the passion and the feelings of disruption and I agree about the problems of schools closing - I accept a large number of case histories - I also believe that our main concern for those schools that will be closed is to make sure that in January 1991 new communities are growing. The Education Minister referred to Arawang and Southern Cross. These are examples of new communities which have new linkages where the mothers, fathers and children all feel part of the community. I hope that a year from now they will not grieve as they are now grieving. I understand the grieving. I was part of it when my children were at one school in this city that went through that kind of process.
Mr Berry: When are you going to admit to the tragedy that you are imposing on these people? When are you going to make the admission that you are responsible for it?
DR KINLOCH: I am sure that Mr Berry would recognise that on this side of the Assembly many of us have worked very hard indeed to make sure that we finally agree only to the number of closures which seem to us - - -
Mr Berry: No, I do not recognise it and I do not believe you have worked hard.
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