Every Territorian would expect that the safety of our students, teachers and staff and the impact crime is having on schools should not be kept secret. Today these questions led to the Education Minister behaving so appallingly the feed had to be cut and estimates sent to a break.
Shadow Education Minister said, “It says everything you need to know about Labor that when I asked these important questions the Minister chose to shout down the room and hurl insults, calling me pathetic.”
“What is pathetic is that Labor continues to ignore the impact crime is having on our community. Like the 8 knife crimes that have happened this year alone at Northern Territory Public schools.”
“On top of not understanding or having the details on the cost of crime there were a number of other failings uncovered. Our attendance rates are still the worst in the country, the $10million spent on the engagement strategy saw only a 0.6% increase in attendance.”
“Oddly and in contradiction, when admitting that we have the lowest attendance rate in Australia, both poverty and parents taking their kids on overseas holidays, ‘like off to Bali’, which ‘didn’t happen in her day’, were listed as the reasons.”
“Despite the Department issuing advice that a new triage system for school counsellors would be put in place, centralising this service to the Mitchell centre, the Education Minister responded, ‘don’t believe what’s in the NT News’.”
“More than 500 students signed a petition launched by Casuarina Senior College against the new model, and the Treasurer didn’t even respect them with a response on what’s really going on with this vital mental health service.”
The Opposition have uncovered:
- There have been 8 incidents for edged weapons this year alone to April
- 28 teachers were injured this year, 25 the previous year.
- Police call outs to schools have not been recorded.
- 1381 students were suspended from public schools last year and behavioural incidents recorded were 2471.
- From 1 July 2022 – 31 March 2023, there have been 215 school break-ins costing Territorians $880,000.
- $30million was spent last year in repairs and maintenance to our schools, showing the state our public education facilities are in.
- The Government spends $1.7million on consultants to pay 27 people, it is unclear what they consult on.
- Not one region met the national average in school attendance.
ENDS