Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the year end fast approaches, so does the end of the school year. December is a significant time for teachers, students, parents, grandparents and guardians. There are so many events to wind up the year end, and so many feelings and emotions are felt by parents, students and family members. That can be a different level of anxiety for different members of the community and for different members of the school and student community. For some it can be a level of excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead after the Christmas break. For others it is a time of insecurity and of letting go of what they know. For yet others it is often a time of year when much anxiety prevails as the wait for exam results continues until around mid-December.

For different students of all ages, this time of year is a mix of different emotions. The key thing, though, is that this time of the education year often marks a time of change for many. Albeit graduation typically is interpreted to mean the conferring of a diploma, certificate or university degree, it can often represent graduating to the next level. To many young children and their parents, the transition from kinder to big school is an important milestone that is recognised at the end of the year. Equally, this is the case for those children in grade 6 going into year 7, even if they are in a school with combined junior and senior schools; for those students in senior schools who are going to start apprenticeships or year 11 and 12; and for students who patiently await their results to see if their preferences for tertiary educational opportunities will eventuate.

A key milestone event for many students is their year 12 results. In Victoria, namely, the Victorian Certificate of Education—the VCE—results come out on December 12. In Chisholm we have two great universities: Deakin University in Burwood and Monash University in Clayton. I am a Monash alumnus and it was a pleasure that only a few weeks ago our Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, visited Monash to launch the opening of the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute. It is interesting to note that this is the first time since 1989the member for Chisholm and a Prime Minister have attended Monash University together.

In business, as in life, innovation is this country's feeder into the future, and the Turnbull government supports innovation as part of our future. The Labor Party scoff at the Turnbull government's innovation agenda. They do not seem to understand the very basic principle that education and innovation are intrinsically linked and that the innovative minds and passion of the students of today are what underpin our future and a strong economy. Innovation can just be a new way to do things—a small idea that becomes the basis for a new start-up or small business. Its very essence represents the individual enterprise value, a value of Liberals and of all Australians—particularly young Australians.

Education goes not just to sciences. All education, be it in languages, the arts or music, is what supports our future and our children and future generations. That is why the Turnbull government supports targeted, measured support for education and our innovation agenda. Unlike the Labor Party, the Turnbull government also supports business and the philosophy of individual enterprise, and provides a broad range of educational experience which also helps our young to build relationships domestically and overseas and to have a wide range of experiences.

It is a testament to the Turnbull government's philosophy and values that many businesses have come and supported the New Colombo Plan. Many students across Australia are the beneficiaries of the New Colombo Plan. Last night I had the absolute honour and joy of attending an amazing event led by our Minister for Foreign Affairs and supported by our Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham, to build and develop the New Colombo Plan. The Turnbull government announced that the New Colombo Plan will support 105 of Australia's brightest undergraduates to live, study and undertake work placements in 17 countries for at least six months. These include people who study in my electorate at Monash University: Louie O'Connor, Genevieve Francois-Townsend and Daniel Benjamin Deward, who all attend Monash. Also, of course, Christopher Williams. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Christopher at the dinner and getting to know him. Christopher attends Deakin University and is very excited and grateful for the opportunity to study in Hong Kong.

The innovative and creative minds of the more senior students in Chisholm, who may attend one of the universities or colleges, start with the support, teaching and education they have reaped from the early years at kinder, primary school and secondary school. This time of the education year often marks a time of change for many. For the university students it can mean planning for next year or it can mean graduating in the course of their choice. Albeit that graduation typically is interpreted to mean the conferring of a diploma, certificate or university degree, it can often represent graduating to the next level.

In the month of December I will have the honour and pleasure of giving graduation certificates to the many students from kinder through to year 12, who attend one of the many fine kindergartens, early learning centres, primary schools or secondary schools in Chisholm. I will have the pleasure of providing education certificates to the young minds at Goodstart Early Learning in Clayton, Koala Childcare kindergarten, the Sweetland Road Early Learning Centre and the Syndal Child Care and Early Learning Centre. Similarly, there are many fine primary schools in Chisholm, including the following at which I will have the pleasure of providing graduation certificates: the Ainslie Parklands Primary School, Essex Heights Primary School, Holy Family Primary School, the Kerrimuir Primary School—a past student of Kerrimuir is our renowned and esteemed Speaker, the Hon. Tony Smith—Mount Waverley Heights Primary School, Mount Waverley North Primary School, Oakleigh Primary School, Parkhill Primary School, Roberts McCubbin Primary School, St Francis Xavier Primary School, Surrey Hills Primary School, Wattle Park Primary School, St Mary Magdalen's, Clayton North Primary School, Clayton South Primary School, Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Saint Benedict's Primary School and Saint Scholastica's Primary School.

Students from other schools will be making their school milestone with certificates at Ashwood School, Kingswood College, Huntingtower School and the junior schools at Presbyterian Ladies College and Avila College. Similarly, I will also have the opportunity to give awards to the amazing students at Box Hill High School. Koonung Secondary College will be celebrating their speech night in December and will be acknowledging the long service and hard work of principal Mr Peter Wright.

As I said, this is a very special time for many students and their families at various levels at schools across Chisholm. However, the substance and experience of this time of year would not be possible if it were not for the support and hard work of the teachers and staff at these schools. The end of the school year marks the beginning of new journeys. These new journeys begin with the history and background of the journey thus far at school. So many teachers in our lives make an imprint on our initial journey, on our children's lives and on our future journeys.

I thank the principals, staff, school leaders, students, parents, grandparents and many special friends of the schools, kinders and educational institutions in Chisholm for all their respective contributions towards making the journey ahead for the young people and future generations of Australians a great one. Rest assured it is the Turnbull government who provides targeted, measured, intelligent support to education, educational funding and educational opportunities that go beyond the paradigm, that go beyond the standard. This is to support future generations in relation to innovation and education. Innovation is the future and represents the future strength of our economy and the future of generations to come.