Tuesday 5 April 2011
Hansard of the Legislative Council

Hansard of the Legislative Council
Thursday 14 April 2011

NORTHERN SUPPORT SCHOOL
Mr FINCH (Question) - My question is to the Minister for Education. I know that you answered a question earlier this week about children with disabilities in schools and that is where my question is going to. The member for Windermere and I made strong representations 18 months or a couple of years ago now about maintaining the Northern Support School, which was for children with intellectual and I think physical disabilities as well. They were doing seemingly a fantastic job from all reports and certainly from the parents of children who attended there. I have just had a report come in from one of my schools that used that service before it was shut down and I have a report back that back in the schoolroom and in the school environment it is not working. There is a lot of pressure on the teaching staff and on the schools to try to provide for these children who previously found great support at the Northern Support School. The school system is under that much financial pressure that they are not able to provide the sort of support that used to be available to those children through the Northern Support School and reflected back in the classroom situation.
I know it is a long question but you might apprise me of the latest and because I have had a report from one of my schools it is something I might continue to question into the future.
Ms THORP - I thank the member for his question. You go into a specific amount of detail about a specific number of students in specific schools and I think the honourable member would understand I would need to take advice on that as to the situation that you are alluding to. It would be most helpful to me - through you, Madam President - if you were able pass the details on to my office and I will be more than happy to undertake to get the information you require and hopefully allay the concerns you express.