Page 2715 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990

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and let us remember Mrs Murray's position in the department -

. huge reductions in parent/teacher co-operative involvement -

I am happy to give you the paper, by the way, Mr Humphries -

. control of pre-schools by persons almost always with no practical experience or theoretical knowledge of pre-school education.

. staff who are not necessarily pre-school trained.

(At this time -

And this is 1981 -

the ACT is the only system which employs early childhood teachers only on a permanent basis in pre-schools.)

. Teachers flexibility in introducing programs based on children's needs and abilities, and their own teaching philosophy negatively influenced by the larger school curriculum biases;

. Contact between other professionals, eg, nurses, doctors, social workers and even pre-school advisors and teachers dependent upon Principals' own views and agreement; and,

. Parent/teacher interviews for the enrolment of children discontinued. Principals or persons in promotion positions taking responsibility for the initial contact between children, families and the schools.

(Quorum formed)

I will move on now to some of the inadequacies of your department. I said at question time that I would be attacking the department and I intend to. That is one of the reasons that we have parliamentary privilege, so that members who feel there is a wrong that needs to be corrected or need to say something can do so without fear of reprisal.

The Education Department in its advice to you has been totally inadequate and you as the Minister should do something about it. The Preschool Task Force is one of the best examples. I shall start with the Preschool Task Force report that has now been recalled, and quite rightly so, too. If you look at the Preschool Task Force report and

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