Page 944 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 29 March 2011
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But let me again be really clear: we come to this place questioning activities at Bimberi. There is a lot of good work going on at Bimberi that does not seem to be of interest to those opposite. Rather, they will wait for question time. They will come to question time when there is a good fling and a slanging match to be had. But at no point do I hear any of those opposite celebrate the successes over there.
This morning we heard about the swimming pool not being used. Well, that is a furphy. The sport and rec officer was a designated first aid officer, and the young residents out there enjoyed the pool this summer. I have also heard from those opposite about lack of resources. That is another furphy to a large level. Admittedly, there were some delays in appointing a woodworker and a metalworker, but these programs are in place. I have a strong view that more vocational opportunities and industry-based opportunities should be provided at Bimberi. This is for the benefit of the young people there. We will focus 70 per cent on literacy and numeracy. (Time expired.)
MRS DUNNE: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, in the letter in today’s Canberra Times the author said that she raised these matters with you and you flicked her off to the commissioner for children and young people. Why did you refer her to the commissioner for children and young people before there was an inquiry rather than deal with these matters yourself?
MS BURCH: I have met with Patricia towards the latter part of last year. She raised with me a number of personal concerns she had around the integration and the coordination between the education unit there and Bimberi—things such as getting teaching and learning materials in through Bimberi, curriculum materials, communication between the teaching team and the case management team. I addressed that. We put in place systems that facilitated quicker, easier risk assessment of teaching materials that the teachers were wanting. We instigated improved communication processes. The lead teacher, principal head teacher—forgive me if the terminology is not quite right perhaps—is now part of the communications strategy. There is a debriefing meeting every morning with the head teacher on every student about their learning outcomes for today. These are the matters Ms McEwan raised with me in the latter part of last year. I responded. As I have said, this is the first time I have heard of these complaints.
MS HUNTER: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Minister, what mechanisms have you put in place so that you are briefed on critical incidents—not just from the department but you are also in regular contact with the Official Visitor, for instance, and other community organisations
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