Page 1594 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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ADJOURNMENT
Motion (by Mr Collaery) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Narrabundah College Drama Students
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (5.55): I rise to speak in the adjournment debate about an issue that I think will have the support of all parties and all members of the Assembly. The Narrabundah College drama students have been invited to the drama festival being held in Vienna in November this year by the International Schools Theatre Association. This is the first time that an Australian school has ever been invited to take part in the festival, so it is quite an achievement and a great honour for Narrabundah College. It is also a great achievement for the drama faculty at the college, under the direction of Peter Wilkins, and a huge achievement also for public education in the ACT. It shows that public schools are capable of excellence, and I believe that it is only appropriate that students in our public education system should benefit from programs of excellence such as the drama program at Narrabundah College.
The students and their parents are absolutely delighted about this invitation, of course; but they are currently attempting to raise some $96,000 to send the 15 students and two adults on the trip. They will be visiting not only Vienna but also Paris, London and Stratford-upon-Avon. They have set themselves a large target of fundraising, and they will be setting out to raise those funds however they can in the Canberra community. I know that everybody in this Assembly will join me in wishing them luck in that fundraising venture because, if there is a shortfall in the funds they require, it will be up to their parents to make up the difference. Of course, that will involve quite a bit of hardship for some parents.
I believe that the Narrabundah group will be calling on a number of members of this Assembly to give them some support in various ways. I want to flag with the Government and other members that at some stage they will be called upon to help in this venture for the Narrabundah students drama group. I know that their plea for assistance will not fall on deaf ears. If the Government wishes to discuss any sort of arrangement for Narrabundah College, I would be only too happy to participate.
It is a great achievement for the Narrabundah College drama group. I know that Mr Collaery's daughter has been involved in that group, as have a number of young friends of mine, and I wish them well. It is a mark of the honour
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