Page 2883 - Week 13 - Thursday, 23 November 1989
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happening in the Social Policy Committee, that we have considerable worries about teenage gangs - teenage groups - that seem to be of high school age.
Now, this discipline and morale problem, I take it, has to be addressed. I am not denying that the Schools Office should do that, but there are now new budget implications as a result of this move and they do not seem to have been dealt with in the budget.
I turn now to subprogram 7.1 - secondary college education - which is my main point. As a corollary, the worries related to high schools carry over into the secondary colleges. Let us, of course, immediately recognise their present excellence and innovativeness. If there is anything this Territory should be proud of in its educational system - as Mr Moore has said many times, and I echo his points - it is this college system. Other people in Australia are looking at it as well.
But that excellence and innovativeness may now be in some danger. I am not saying it necessarily is; I hope it will not be. Teachers who have usefully become part of that sector of schooling - that is the year 11 and year 12 schooling - are to be compulsorily transferred for up to two years at a time after a certain level of service. I think it is after about 14 years.
I do recognise the value of moving people around from time to time - that, surely, has happened to all of us - however, only if that is on a voluntary basis or at least on a basis in which there is some decision on the part of the individuals being moved and not only on the part of the institution which moves them. To be sure, if there is so-called dead wood, some such teachers may be restored to healthy and productive life by moving them from school A to school B. But this is not without administrative cost. Part of that administrative cost could well be some teachers who at that point resign from the service - that would be sad - and who take retirement far earlier than would be necessary because they are depressed and distressed by this particular effort to - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Dr Kinloch, I really think you are missing the point of this whole exercise. We are talking about funding.
DR KINLOCH: Well, this has funding implications and it has never been discussed.
MR SPEAKER: Certainly, but whether this is the appropriate time to do that, I am in doubt.
DR KINLOCH: I accept your ruling, Mr Speaker. Then the larger problem with budget implications is the reaction of dozens of teachers who are distressed at that being done to them. I have here, therefore, Mr Speaker, a whole speech about the benefits of staying put and the disbenefits of
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