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

Today I would like to acknowledge the teachers and students at Clemton Park primary school. I had the privilege of visiting the school last Monday 7 June. I want to thank in particular year 3 teacher Anna Sexton; Paul Robinson, the principal; and of course the wonderful students of years 3 and 4.

I first started visiting the school many years ago when I was the state member for Canterbury. On my recent visit I spent time with year 3 students and learnt of some of the work they are studying. This work includes the topic Community and Remembrance. This topic provides a study of identity and diversity in both a local and a broader context. Moving from the heritage of their local areas, students explore the historical features and diversity of their community. They examine local, state and national symbols and emblems of significance, celebration and commemoration, both locally and in other places.

The key inquiry question students are currently studying is: who lived here first? It is so important that we are teaching our children about truth, about our history and, even more importantly, about First Nations people. Other work the students undertake is to identify the Aboriginal languages spoken in the local or regional area; to identify the special relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to country; and, in their own words, to respond to Aboriginal stories told about country presented in text by guest lecturers.

I had a wonderful hour with the students. I took the kangaroo cloak that I wore for my first speech in this parliament and I spoke to them about the significant symbols on that and how the totem system operates. Many of the students decided what they would like to have as their totem, and one of the students said 'elephant'. I said, 'I don't think that's possible; they need to be Australian animals.' It was a really fabulous hour. The students got an enormous amount out of it. I particularly recognise the young student who did the acknowledgement of country. I think his name was Sam but I would have to double-check that. He is a young Aboriginal student from the Yuin people of the South Coast of New South Wales.

I will finish my statement by saying an incredible congratulations to Principal Paul Robinson and the teachers of years 3 and 4 on undertaking within their curriculum studies that really explore the local area.