Page 1376 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Over the years, the Canberra Liberals have criticised several education and health ministers over the need for nurses in our special schools. Still, here today, neither Minister Corbell nor Minister Burch is willing to take responsibility for the current situation.
During my time as the chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services, this was one of the issues that our committee looked at closely. This experience has helped to inform my understanding of the importance of nurses in special schools, as shadow minister for education, and how the ongoing issue is negatively impacting on the lives of parents, teachers and, most importantly, the students of these special schools. I note that Ms Burch is having quite a chuckle.
The message was, and still is, that there is a clear need for registered nurses to be located at all special schools in Canberra, to administer health care to these students on site. I await an explanation from either minister on how children with special needs in Cranleigh and Malkara can, and should, have a nurse in their schools, but when it is time for them to transition to Woden or Black Mountain schools the need magically disappears—as does the previously available trained nurse to assist these students, parents and teachers.
In 2011, I began advocating on behalf of one of my constituents who has a son at the Woden School with acute health needs relating to his diabetes. The Woden School has maintained a nurse since Ms Gallagher’s intervention, although, despite the unstable health issues of this particular student, the Woden School has never been able to secure a nurse on a permanent basis.
This again highlights another issue that this government has not addressed. In answer to a question directed to the former Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, in regard to why Woden School did not have a permanent school nurse, she responded that initially this was a school that had children with fewer health issues. However, she also stated that enrolments for the 2012 school year indicated that there would be an increase in the number of students with health needs at Woden School. This would indicate to me that the requirement for a permanent school nurse at Woden has become even more necessary in the last few years.
The healthcare access at school program, HAAS, is designed to support children who have a complex or invasive healthcare need to attend school under the provision of nurse-led care during school time. At the end of 2014, the Education and Training Directorate decided to remove full-time nursing staff from the Black Mountain School, Woden, Malkara and Cranleigh schools to trial a nurse telephone hotline throughout term 1 of this year.
Minister Corbell has publicly denied that Malkara and Cranleigh schools were part of the healthcare access at school program. However, I have here with me evidence in both the Cranleigh and Malkara school newsletters from the end of last year, both stating:
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video