Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Extend Family Assistance to ABSTUDY Secondary School Boarding Students Aged 16 and Over) Bill 2019. I also move:

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) students from remote areas do not have access to the high school education options taken for granted in cities;

(b) while boarding school works well for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, it is not the best option for many others—taking students away from family, community, country and language;

(c) there are many reasons for the high turnover of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at boarding school, including levels of cultural awareness and understanding; and

(d) the lack of secondary school options closer to home contributes to the gap in high school completion rates; and

(2) calls on the Government to increase investment in public and community school options that are closer to home, and will allow more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to finish high school".

Education is critical to improving quality of life and life outcomes. We all believe that. I've heard it said many times not only in this chamber but across the whole spectrum of the education arena. I am very fortunate to have come from an education background. I started my career out, believe it or not—a very long time ago; I won't say when—in Mount Druitt as a teacher at Lethbridge Park—

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