Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This evening I rise to speak about an important event in the electorate of Cowan in Western Australia that I attended on 4 November. I was very pleased to be able to represent the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard, at the official opening of the Ashdale Secondary College in Darch. The Australian government contributed more than $11½ million to the construction of this new college. The school motto, ‘Achieving a positive future’, coincidentally reflects the objectives of the Rudd government’s Building the Education Revolution program, and I would like to give you some examples.

The school already has some amazing projects underway, such as a partnership with Scitech, the WA science education centre. Because there was no science block for the first few months of the school’s operation, Scitech came to the school and students visited Scitech, and that is how they got their science program done. This innovative partnership has given the students at Ashdale the very best start to their science education. In recognition of this, it was great to see Lyn Beazley, the Chief Scientist of Western Australia, at the school opening.

Ashdale also supports a 21st century learning environment where IT is truly integrated into the school curriculum. Laptops are now powerful teaching and learning devices, and Ashdale is making the most of this potential by having a one-on-one laptop program so that each student has a laptop not only on campus but at home. People often make allegations and say: ‘How could you do that? How could you trust students with a laptop of their own?’ But every one of those laptops is safe and secure, and students look after them very well. They take those laptops between school and home. I was able to see firsthand the benefits and amazing outcomes the students are able to produce using this technology.

So you can see that the school has since its inception been a true embodiment of what the Rudd government’s Building the Education Revolution program is all about. It is all about building a positive future for our children so that they are able to contribute to building the wealth, both economic and social, of this country as workers, taxpayers and citizens of the future. It is about ensuring that our children are able to lead rewarding and fulfilling lives. The Rudd government, like Ashdale college, recognises that a key aspect of a positive future for all Australians is a first-class education system—a well-funded and functioning education system that includes the buildings, facilities and technology which give our children what they need to be equipped for a 21st century future.

This fantastic new school in the electorate of Cowan is a great example of just that. I would like to commend the school community—the students, the teachers and the principal, Mrs Carol Strauss. Mrs Strauss and her team at Ashdale are a fantastic example of the tenacity and vision that are so central to the culture of the northern suburbs of Perth. The development of a new school is no easy feat. The school community is to be congratulated for all its work in getting its new school to this stage.

Let me give you a sense of the size and complexity of this project. The new school is being developed in two stages. Stage 1 facilities include the year 8 learning community block. This is made up of eight general classrooms for integrated studies including English, maths, science, society and environment, health and languages other than English. It also includes the admin block, the year 10 music and media facilities, a visual arts and performing arts block, a library and cafe block and the materials technology, woodwork, metalwork and plastics specialist teaching area. Stage 2 is the design phase and is to be the landmark building for the school. It will include health and physical education facilities and a covered court, the completion of the materials technology block, a year 9 teaching block including general classrooms, a double-storey science and technology and enterprise block and provision for student services and information and communication technology. So you can see that this new school demonstrates the Australian government’s commitment to providing every student with the best possible learning environment through new and updated facilities.

Building the Education Revolution began this year and provides the infrastructure funding so that each of Australia’s 9,540 schools can meet the needs of the 21st century students and their teachers. This is a critical component of the government’s economic stimulus package, giving our schools the attention they so richly deserve. Schools in Cowan have benefited from Building the Education Revolution through all three components of the program. Firstly, through the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program, 46 primary schools and special schools in the electorate of Cowan have received over $85,600,000 for 74 projects to build or refurbish large-scale infrastructure, including libraries, halls and classrooms. Secondly, under the Science and Language Centres for Secondary Schools program, four secondary schools in Cowan have received over $7 million to build science laboratories and language learning centres. Under the National School Pride program, 53 schools in Cowan have received over $8 million to refurbish and renew existing infrastructure and build minor infrastructure in all schools.

The Rudd Government promised an education revolution, and that is what we are delivering. To be globally competitive, we know Australia needs a world-class education system and we also believe that every Australian child deserves a world-class education. The new Ashdale Secondary College is a prime example of the government working in concert with local communities to achieve that very worthwhile goal. I commend the work of the students, staff and school community of Ashdale Secondary College and I look forward to more visits to the college to mark important milestones in the school’s life.

Finally, I would like to wish the students at Ashdale college well. The current year 8s, soon to be year 9s, are actually the only age group currently in the school. They will be the senior age group in the school as they move through the school and it begins to grow and develop. It was clear to me that they already have a maturity beyond their years and will capably lead their school as it continues to grow.