Page 2683 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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relate with that teacher and get on with the job of learning, which is what she was at college for. We must listen to their views.
I am pleased to see that officers from the Tuggeranong police have commenced a participation in meetings and discussions with young people on their own ground at their invitation. In other words, the young people have invited the police to come into their territory and talk to them on their ground and to discuss the issues that concern them. I also express my support for statements by the chief police officer of the ACT in his desire to have more police out on the beat, out in the community, out in the bus stations, out in the areas where the children congregate so that they can meet with the children.
For example, in the Erindale area there is a perfect opportunity for the police from the Tuggeranong Police Station to participate in on-the-beat operations where the children congregate during the day after college in the open area between the college and the Erindale Centre itself. I understand that the police will be undertaking that type of activity and I look forward to seeing that develop in the future.
Those of us who have teenage children, for example, are certainly aware of the difficulties of being a teenager today. For example, in the late fifties when I left school it was not a matter of whether a job was available; in those days it was really a matter of which job you went to. Nowadays, of course, that is entirely different, with youth unemployment throughout Australia being in excess of 20 per cent in most places. This puts considerable pressures on young people today in our consumer oriented society where everything is required to be bought. Children need money. In my day, it was two bob pocket money; nowadays two bob would not go anywhere. Five dollars hardly buys you a "big mac" these days, let alone something more. I think it is important to realise these issues and the pressures that are put on young people today.
I think it is acknowledged that this is probably one of the major reasons why many of our young people are now seeking to continue on to college and it is important to ensure that our education system can cope with this change. No longer does a college provide an education for entrance to university or the CCAE as it used to be.
Mr Wood: Solely provided it.
MR JENSEN: Solely for that. In fact, Mr Wood, I am sure you will agree that there are probably more of our students in our colleges today that are not going to take that course; quite a lot, in fact.
Mr Wood: Yes, that is one of the reasons why they are so successful.
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