Page 767 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Minister, is this a valid criticism? What has been done to follow up on the Martin report to improve boys’ educational outcomes?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Mr Seselja for the question. In fact, in the previous Assembly we had quite a lot of discussions about the Martin report, which was a report from 2002. Of course, Mr Seselja was not here for those debates, but I am happy to go through exactly what the government has done in relation to boys’ education. In doing so, I should preface this by saying that Mr Shanahan has a vested interest in boys’ education—a legitimate vested interest; he runs a very good program at our schools for boys’ education. But he has also put in a submission for additional funding for his program, and this is part of the hurly-burly of the budget process. I think Mr Seselja should declare that he is involved with Mr Shanahan’s organisation. I believe you were a mentor or were involved in some way with this organisation, which you should declare when you are asking a question like this.
Mr Seselja: Does Mr Gentleman declare it every time he asks a question about unions?
MS GALLAGHER: I just think that when Mr Shanahan and you went on radio together it was a very cosy little arrangement. You had a strong alliance with Mr Shanahan’s group Menslink and—lo and behold—Menslink is putting in a budget bid for some extra money and, oh, they appear on ABC radio saying there is a terrible situation occurring with boys’ education in schools, just at the same time as they are asking for more money, and along with the help of one of their mentors and someone who has been involved in their program.
Mr Seselja: You are not telling the truth.
MS GALLAGHER: I am not saying there is anything wrong with that, Mr Seselja; I am just saying that you should declare it. We should be a little more open about our interests here.
Mr Seselja: We all declare our interests, Katy.
MS GALLAGHER: I am very open about mine. I do not hide behind my interests. But I do not think in that interview—or since—that you have declared the interest that you have in that organisation and I do not think in the interview it was very open that this is subject to a budget process where money has been sought for an extension to a program.
But, in relation to your question, I can sit here and talk quite extensively about what has happened to the education of boys. In fact, the key finding of that report was that the quality of the teaching has more impact on student outcomes than any other factor. The single factor is the quality of the teaching being offered in the schools, and that is regardless of gender. Apart from targeted programs that we have been doing, the emphasis needs to be placed on making sure that our teachers have access to the professional development that they require and the training programs they require in order to provide the good programs to all of our students, from which boys, of course, will benefit as well.
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