Page 2386 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We have an ageing school profile; many of our schools are over 40 and 50 years old. In some cases, a knock-down and rebuild would be a far more cost-effective solution. I know of schools that have waited for their toilets to be upgraded, others for reroofing, not to mention refurbishments and painting. Additional concern was expressed in estimates about planning for additional school capacity to meet demand generated by the Riverview development.
More recently, concern has been expressed by the Franklin Early Childhood School board about where pupils from that school would go to year 3 and beyond. Franklin is a shared zone for years 3 to 6 between Harrison School and Palmerston District Primary School. However, it seems that Harrison is unable to accept enrolments for year 3 in 2014 from Franklin residents because it is already beyond capacity numbers. Bonner is not a pathway for families and neither is it an option for families to travel out of the community. Palmerston is apparently a possibility but geographically challenging as young children and families would be required to cross Gungahlin Drive which, as the letter from the board suggests, is no place for pedestrians.
The board of Franklin Early Childhood School is very concerned at the lack of education facilities in the Franklin-Gungahlin area. Clearly, they are worried it will only get worse. I can understand the difficulties for government planners in prescribing school capacities and getting the zones right in all cases, but I recall a similar issue a couple of years ago with another preschool when families were in the dark as to what primary school their child might be enrolled in. If we want our schools to develop strong community spirit, we need to ensure the community is engaged with the school and families communicated with by the directorate.
That comes to other matters involving the school community. A number of questions were put to every directorate on the question of bullying, and the estimates committee report reflects a number of recommendations around this issue. We know of bullying in several government departments, and not all of them have been handled appropriately or in a timely manner. Equally, on the issue of bullying in schools, I am not sure we have yet got it right. I get a number of complaints, but I know the number I receive would pale into insignificance with those the directorate has to deal with or, indeed, those that get as far as the minister’s office.
While there are clear policy guidelines for how bullying, harassment and trouble avoidance, for want of a better phrase, are managed in schools many parents express frustration that the issues and incidents so often just get veneered over. The victim is often encouraged to move to another school, and too often it is just too hard for the school to engage effectively with the parents of the bully. School counsellors play an important part in this, and we need to ensure our teachers and support staff are trained in the latest techniques and equipped with the latest material.
Bullying is endemic in modern society, and of even more concern is cyber bullying, which is on the rise not only in schools but throughout the community. It is important to try and get a wider understanding of how it starts and how it can be deflected. I note that APFACTS is running a cyber savvy week from 15 to 19 September to help parents and students develop strategies to counter bullying in all forms. There are workshops for secondary students and parents and a community forum, and I
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video