Page 3595 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 8 December 1992
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Mr Moore asked whether Aborigines were expelled more than others. I do not know. I would hope that that is not the case. It may reflect something of a socioeconomic background, but I would maintain that Aboriginal students - this is my experience - are treated in precisely the same manner as any other student. I will ask some questions. I do not know whether there will be data on it, but there may be some anecdotal information available.
Have Aboriginal studies at a particular school ceased? I do not know. Schools do run, as I did in my school, a particular program. That program sometimes runs for years. Sometimes it is revised; sometimes it drops out for a time. But I will find out the answer. I do not know that we have any particular moves in the ACT education system formally to introduce an Aboriginal language. I am not sure that we have the resources to do that. It is a problem for us. I know that many of the schools from time to time, as part of their program, introduce Aboriginal vocabulary into what happens; but that is still some distance from a language. As to the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples, it is well known that 1993 is the year for that and, Mr Moore and others, you can be sure that the ACT school system, the government school system, will be responding appropriately to that international year. The school system generally, in my experience, participates fully in these very important years, and this one will be no different.
Having to answer Mr Moore's questions leaves me little time to develop the importance of the harmony program. I know how useful it is. I was at Giralang the other day and they have established there a peacekeepers program where students trained in game skills and conflict resolution act as mediators in the playground. These conflict resolution skills enable problems to be worked through. I think the schools generally do a very good job in this respect.
MR CORNWELL (4.01): Madam Speaker, in addressing this matter of public importance, I feel that Mrs Grassby has probably embarrassed her own Labor Party and her Minister for Education, Mr Wood, because the topic of this debate, "The need for positive measures within the community and schools to combat racism", suggests very positively to me that it does exist.
Mrs Grassby: Of course it exists, everywhere; all over Australia.
MR CORNWELL: Within the schools. I resent and reject that accusation, Mrs Grassby, and I would invite you publicly to put up or shut up in relation to the schools.
Mrs Grassby: I can do it. I can bring you some kids.
MR CORNWELL: Well, just go ahead, because I am not going to stand here and have accusations made relating to the schools, to the teachers or to the students, and I do not believe that Mr Wood would be prepared to accept that either. At the schools that I have visited I have seen people mixing together quite happily. There is an extensive range of schools here in the ACT with Aboriginal students, Vietnamese students and all sorts of other students, and they mix together very well. The inference, I repeat, I find offensive, and I do not believe that people should come into this chamber making such allegations without being prepared to back them up. I invite Mrs Grassby, and for that matter Mr Moore, who made a similar allegation, to make some representations to Mr Wood about the matter. I would welcome Mr Wood advising me, at least privately, about any matters that he might like to raise.
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