A recent parliamentary speech from Natasha Fyles: Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight on an issue in my electorate that is causing great angst and stress. We are in the final term of the school year and teachers, students and parents should be focussing on assignments, exams, final reports and the holidays. However, for a number of members of our school community, they are going through a stressful period of uncertainty. The Northern Territory Open Education School is located in my electorate in Nightcliff. It has around 650 students, yet it services students right across the Territory. A unique school; an important school. It has unique facilities to teach in this environment, teaching some of our most isolated students. The Northern Territory Education Centre has been at its current location on Crisp Street Rapid Creek for over 25 years. It has studio classrooms enabling teachers to use technology to teach students across the Territory. Teachers also have work stations set up so that they can communicate with students easily without disturbing other staff around them. The Essington School Darwin has previously indicated it needs to expand its school. It is currently located at the old Rapid Creek Primary School site next to the NTOEC and the government had flagged the move of the NTOEC to a purpose filled facility at Darwin Middle School which would have meant one move for staff and students and they would have gained access to a purpose built new building. In June the Minister for Education flagged the move of NTOEC and following from this the Shadow Minister for Education and myself requested a briefing on the issue, something the Minister constantly advises us to do. The day before our scheduled briefing, the Minster put out a press release stating that the NTOEC would move to a temporary home until a new home is finalised. A temporary home with no firm plans or budget for its purpose built facility. Where was the consultation? Minister, I remind you that you said in Estimates hearing, and I quote “I believe the first thing to do is to start to consult with your Open Education School Council.” Yet you announced the move with the media release. No consultation. Those involved either read it by this media release, or, as I understand, staff at the NTOEC were called into the meeting hours before the media release went out. No consultation, just a one-page media release leaving lots of unanswered questions. The move of NTOEC to a temporary home at the Nightcliff Middle School does not only cause disruption to NTOEC staff and students, but his plan for them to move into this space at the NT music school; purpose built music space, stages, video and sound recording, editing studios (inaudible). As one member of the music school has said, “Aside from the sheer inconvenience of the move for everyone, there are issues about the NT Music School move which remain unresolved. Among them is the suitability of the accommodation for the individual tuition and ensemble work, not to mention the videoing and sound recording and editing”. I also understand that the NTOEC will take over further space at the Nightcliff Middle School that is purpose built for the ICT for learning. A purpose built information technology space where experts in their field were assisting our classroom teachers deliver education in modern practices, but your government has decimated that area. You have all but shut down the ICT for learning. It is not the award winning learning environment it once was. Staff there are devastated. They feel forgotten in this. Their programs are on hold as I understand they are not taking any bookings for professional development. There might be a few staff left there, but the sentries are essentially closed. Minister, you assured this House previously that the ICT for learning were simply moving. Staff there deserved a detailed explanation. The NT music School has been relocated to Sanderson Middle School to an area that currently has the department of education services located in it. As I understand, this service is being disbanded from a school and will be located in the city at the Harbour View Building away from the students and teachers it supports. There is no internal access road at Sanderson Middle School to allow for the frequent packing and moving of instruments for outside events, public transport access to and from the school at times when ensembles are practicing is uncertain. In fact, the school pick up and drop off is more difficult at Sanderson. The new location of the NT Music School is far more isolated compared to its current location, which raises safety issues. Minister, you have caused great disruption; a domino effect of moving costing hundreds of thousands of dollars with no consultation. Staff in these schools are extremely worried and stressed. It might seem trivial, but they are wondering where they will be teaching, will they all fit, will their desks fit. I understand they will be in two different areas at Nightcliff Middle School. There are many questions and a lack of consultation, something you were quick to criticise others of in the past. May I remind you, Minister for Education, of what you have said in the past: Turning up and telling people what you are doing is not consultation, it is arrogance. Minister for Education, why the rush? Why is there no consultation? Minister, you did not meet with staff, students or parents, nor the broader Nightcliff/Rapid Creek community. To quote from the NTOEC school council: The council and parents of NTOEC feel that distance education is being treated as second best. School council is annoyed that the department considers this building unsuitable. It has been good enough up until now and therefore should remain our school premises until the purpose built facility is completed. This is a school we are talking about. Last week you mentioned in debate in this House that students in the bush, if they lose subjects, could take the classes by distant education. With your governments teacher cuts you expect NTOEC to help out yet you are cutting their resources by relocating the school. Minister, as the local member of parliament for this area, I have a number of concerns and questions from my community, teachers, parents, students and residents that need answering. The Nightcliff/Rapid Creek area already has a growing traffic problem, particularly around the school drop off and pick up time. We have five schools, three childcare centres, and a 3-year old kindy located within our community - a large number of educational institutions within a small area. Nightcliff and Rapid Creek is popular with families and I know this variety and choice of education is one of the reasons. The Essington School is located on the old Rapid Creek Primary School site, a suburban primary school built for 300 or so students who would have mainly walked to school from surrounding streets, yet it has - I am not sure of the exact numbers - but a strong and growing student population of many hundreds of students. In allowing the Essington School to move into the NTOEC building their student numbers will surely grow further. The traffic and road safety issue is already causing huge concern for local residence. With this potential growth we need a detailed traffic study, a study that works with and involves our local residents and schools to ensure we look at all the issues. There are issues such as parking around schools, the safety of students and residents walking or riding. We are seeing huge traffic flow problems and it is not just directly around the schools, this problem affects a large part of the area. We only have four roads in or out of the Nightcliff/Rapid Creek area due to the peninsula. The congestion during peak times and the flow of traffic is a huge issue. I acknowledge the commitments made by the Chief Executive of the Education department on radio to undertake this traffic study. The community and myself look forward to working through this detail, but I must stress this is a pressing and concerning issue. A number of people have come to see me about this issue and it has turned into many issues. Minister for Education, on behalf of all involved, particularly local residents, staff and students, I ask you to slow down, consult. One must question the time frame, what is the rush? This is causing great stress, particularly to teachers and students in this final school term of the year. Thank you Madam Speaker. Natasha Fyles MLA Member for Nightcliff [email protected] Ph: (08) 8999 6743 Fax: (08) 8985 4545 Po Box 1283 Nightcliff NT 0814 Shop 5 Pavonia Way Nightcliff NT 0810
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:52:46 +0000
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