Page 144 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019
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Personally I have been listening to the Education Directorate, asking for advice and making sure that they are conducting a thorough investigation as to what has happened at that school and the sorts of things that now need to be done to assist that school in recovering and building a good, strong community out at that school.
I will continue to personally be involved in how that school recovers. I do not know that it is appropriate for a minister, or anyone, to start going in and stomping around in a school at this early stage in the resolution of working towards a stronger school community. They are being supported by experts. As we go through the process of finding out what happened and how we can improve and make sure that the school is a positive and safe learning environment, that is what we will continue to do.
Schools—bullying
MRS KIKKERT: Madam Speaker, my question is to the minister for education. Minister, my question is: have you received complaints or been advised by parents about bullying and violence at schools other than at a Tuggeranong primary school in the past six months?
MS BERRY: As I said, generally all our schools are safe, positive communities for children to attend. However, with 90,000 students across all our schools there will be issues that arise occasionally where students are injured or are exposed to bullying in school. This is not okay.
These are situations I take very seriously and sometimes I take a little longer to respond because I want to make sure that I have all the information in front of me and that my responses are appropriate and sympathetic to the families and what they are going through at that moment in time. I know I have had some correspondence from families about their experiences that have not always been positive over the past six months.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, how many other schools have been identified as having bullying complaints in the past six months?
MS BERRY: I do not have that information on me at the moment, Madam Speaker.
MS LEE: Minister, can you bring that information to us, and can you also confirm that there is an investigation underway at that Tuggeranong school in relation to these instances of violence?
MS BERRY: Yes, of course there is because I have asked the directorate to very carefully investigate what has been going on at that school. I said that yesterday and today. I want to make sure that I know very clearly what occurred, what were the processes put in place, why they were not a satisfactory or appropriate response to those matters and how we can make sure that the teachers are supported during this difficult time as well as working very closely with the school community.
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