Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to talk about the Active After-school Communities program, which, fortunately, has had its funding extended by the minister—and I thank the minister very much. Like my colleague the member for Bass, I have in my electorate one of the schools that has won an Active After-school Communities program Super Site award. It is Strahan Primary School, and what a beautiful school it is. I know that the principal, Trish King, was tickled pink by the award, along with the students and also Lisa Neilson, Melinda Hyland and David Munns, who is the Active After-school Communities program organiser. They were very pleased indeed.

But you do not need to take my word for it. Tom Rockliff, a student at the school, gave 10 reasons why Active After-school Communities sports is enjoyable, and I would like to share some of those with you. Tom said:

My first reason is that Active After-school sports keeps us fit and healthy.

My second reason is that we are given healthy snacks like fruit and crackers.

My third reason is that we are given an opportunity to use equipment that most children usually don’t have a chance to use, such as Speedminton, which I did not know even existed!

My fourth reason is that it is lots of fun to get outside and run around and play lots of different games that the school have in the P.E. Shed.

My fifth reason is the fact that it keeps children occupied after school, rather than going home and plonking themselves in front of PlayStations or TV

It is lovely to see the term ‘plonking’ used by young people. Tom continued:

My sixth reason is for the education sport can give students. The students can learn about all different sports and games that are played in events such as the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. They also have the opportunity to know if they want to go on playing that particular sport and become a professional.

My seventh reason is that it builds a good relationship between students and the teachers. We get to know our classmates and our teachers better. I know that I got to know a lot more people from other classes and have fun with those people.

My eighth reason is that we don’t get much of a chance to play sport in a roster as we only have football and hockey to play. Active After-schools gives us a chance to play other sports.

My ninth reason is that it gives the school equipment that we would not have enough money to buy otherwise.

His 10th reason—ah!—is:

Miss Neilson is the most fun, most exciting and funniest Active After-school teacher. If the activity is boring, Miss Neilson is willing to change it around. Miss Neilson loves to have a laugh and is lots of fun to be around.

Tom says, ‘Thanks Miss Neilson!’ as he signs off. Tom is only 10 years old, and he wrote this himself. His friend Corey Stephen, who is also aged 10, said:

If Strahan didn’t have Active After-school sports most students who attend would be outraged, because they would not understand the reasons why such a great program was cancelled.

He went on to say:

Please keep Active After-school sports on, because it is free, it is good for the school community and the students really value the program.

I think both Tom and Corey have encapsulated why the Active After-school Communities sports program is so important and why it is so important that the program continues.

Like my colleague the member for Bass, I have something like 19 schools and after-school care centres participating in the program, from Sheffield all along the coast down to Strahan. Something like 1,300 primary school aged children participated on the north-west coast’s 19 sites. Each child participating receives up to 80 free sports sessions, 80 free healthy afternoon snacks and free access to a qualified coach and sports equipment within a supervised environment. Indeed, in term 1 and term 2 of 2010, there were 149 community coaches involved in these programs. And, boy, look at what they did: multiskill, golf, athletics, tennis, softball, badminton, gymnastics, AFL, skills circuses—and circus skills!—aquatics, surf lifesaving, soccer, orienteering, basketball, ultimate frisbee and hockey. What more could you do with an Active After-school Communities program than what Strahan Primary School has done? Congratulations to Strahan Primary School for winning the Super Site award and now being eligible for the Tasmanian award.

See this speech in context