Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the pleasure of attending and speaking at a values forum at the Mirrabooka Primary School in my electorate of Stirling. I want to spend a couple of minutes talking about this wonderful project and the values of pride, respect and responsibility that it is instilling in young people in my electorate. The Mirrabooka shared values project, put together by the Mirrabooka Primary School, the Mirrabooka Senior High School and the Mirrabooka Education Support Centre, is working to ensure that students have a shared value system that permeates through every part of the curriculum. This system will reinforce good and solid values throughout all of their school years, from primary to secondary, and help them become productive and responsible citizens. I am confident that many of the students from these schools will make a lasting contribution to their local community.

The Mirrabooka schools’ shared values project has five principles: do your best at everything you do; like yourself; be proud of yourself and what you do; be kind, caring and respectful towards others and act fairly in everything you do; remember you and others have rights and responsibilities; and, finally, respect and treasure the environment. Students are rewarded for displaying these values, whether it is by showing leadership, citizenship or simply kindness towards others. Parents are also encouraged to participate in the program, which means that there is the added bonus of these values permeating through the family home.

It is great to see young people in my electorate who are prepared to participate in a project where they learn compassion, tolerance and a sense of fairness. Every school in Australia is invited to take part in the Australian government’s Values Education Good Practice Schools Project. I am very pleased that these three schools in Mirrabooka have taken up the challenge that this program creates.

I believe there is a lot of value in children taking the time to think about right and wrong and what their obligations are to other people that they share a community with—in this case, a school community that is made up of three separate schools. These three schools share the same site, and that site has a great spirit. Students and staff are proud of their school, and you can feel this as soon as you visit any one of these three institutions. So congratulations to Mirrabooka Primary School, Mirrabooka Senior High School and the Mirrabooka Education Support Centre for their values forum and for the creation of this important statement of community values.

Ian Causley (Page, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for members’ statements has concluded.