Page 5384 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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position on the provision of education services? Do you agree that what is currently being provided is inadequate, and what are you doing to improve the educational outcomes for detainees if they do have to segregated?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her question. Without finding it in this report, the Human Rights Commission made a comment. The government’s response agreed in principle in that all children should have access to education activities, as they should have access to sporting and program activities. The difference is, where it is deemed that a child is required to be removed from a classroom, what level of educational services are provided to that child. This is a small teaching unit. There has never been any more, I think, than 30 children at any time at Bimberi. The average is about 20, so these are small units.
The children are relocated, as I understand, to the Coree unit where they are supervised; there is good oversight and supervision there. They are provided with a level of program activity. It is probably not the same as what is going on in the classroom, and the education unit there is always looking to see how it can better enhance those very few times when a child is removed from the classroom.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Minister, could you please explain what the government is doing in relation to recommendation 12.14, that the Public Advocate and the Official Visitor be notified when a detainee is absent from school for two consecutive days, which you have agreed to in principle, but you then appear to indicate the view that the current process in relation to segregation is adequate?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her question. At the moment the Public Advocate and the Official Visitor have regular visits at Bimberi. The comment here is that we do not agree that it is the role of teaching staff to advise the Public Advocate when a young person is denied permission to attend school for two consecutive days. The senior manager at Bimberi is already required to notify the Public Advocate. So we do have a system in place that already notifies the Public Advocate if a young person is placed in segregation, and consider that this is an appropriate framework.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, could you please explain why the government agreed with recommendation 14.14 in relation to segregating detainees and then disputed the basis on which it was made? What is the government’s position on this issue? Has the review of segregation directions been completed?
MS BURCH: It is in regard to segregation and our comments. The recommendation was that the directorate cease segregating and that the segregation register must reflect those activities. The government notes the advice and has reinforced the policy and procedures with Bimberi management in line with this recommendation. As I know, there is a project, the IMS project—the integrated management system—that is
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