Page 731 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 24 March 1993
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The article continued:
This was "not to say you can never have a small school," but closures were inevitable as the city's demographic make-up altered.
The union says in its members' handbook that although it believes school closures are short sighted and drastic, inadequate funding has meant a deterioration of working conditions and, for this reason, it "will no longer actively campaign against all school closures". Ms Richards says teachers will "oppose other forms of rationalisation and cuts", and are "left with very few options" if the community does not support enhanced education budgets.
The reality is, Madam Speaker, that in the 1992-93 education budget those cuts did take place. There was a cut of $3.4m, or 1.8 per cent, in public school funding; therefore the concern of the Teachers Union is totally justified. They are not necessarily friends of this side of the chamber - they are more friendly with the Government opposite - and they are saying that they can no longer actively campaign against all school closures because it is simply not educationally or financially viable to do so. This is the view that this side of the chamber also takes.
I think it is equally reprehensible for this Government to suggest that in October this year we are going to call together parents from Griffith Primary School and see whether the school can be reopened. Mr Moore says, "We will not open the entire school; we will just have a K and a year 1".
Mr Moore: It is a start.
MR CORNWELL: How viable is that going to be?
Mr Moore: It is a very sensible approach.
MR CORNWELL: Mr Moore, if you ever lose your seat - and you will at the next election for this place - please do not go back to teaching. It would appal me to think that you were back in the education system anywhere in Australia if you have that attitude of opening a school with a kindergarten and a year 1 and expect it to be educationally viable. Perish the thought. I believe that this is totally misleading to these people. It is a sop; it is a carrot to encourage them to move away from that school. You know as well as I do, Chief Minister, and Minister for Education, that there is no way in the world that those parents will want their children to go back there. Commonsense would indicate that. If the children are happily settled in another school, why on earth would you want to move them back again - assuming, of course, that you could get the support of the Teachers Union? You know as well as I do that you will not, because they will not put people back into Griffith Primary School.
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