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Mr PAUL McLEAY (Heathcote—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.55 p.m.]: I inform the House of progress at Helensburgh Public School, a fantastic institution in the geographical heart of my electorate. It is a well-resourced school, headed by Principal Gary Royston. It has excellent teaching staff, administrative staff and support staff, including general assistant, Mr Roger Hendry, a former student, who proudly continues his family's association with the school. Helensburgh Public School students have a new school hall, thanks to the Iemma Government's $2.8 million upgrade, which also includes a new canteen, an improved carparking area and a covered outdoor learning area. It will also receive an additional $15,000 for ground improvements. The school is relishing its new learning environment. Several years ago I inspected the site and the progress was very pleasing. Construction has been on time and on budget. Students, teachers and the community all enjoy this magnificent resource.
The school has a long history and is on a beautiful site, but some of its buildings are challenging because they are quite old. On one of my previous visits the administrative staff showed me their facilities and some of the classrooms, and it was obvious that renovations were required. Representations were made and the Department of Education and Training has agreed that the points raised have merit and has placed the school on the upgrade list. I call on the Minister for Education and Training to ensure that Helensburgh Public School receives the necessary funds to upgrade the classrooms and administrative block. I have lobbied to the Minister to ensure that all students in my electorate receive their fair share of this year's education budget. The Iemma Government has consistently stood by its commitment to ensure that primary school children receive the best possible start at school, particularly with the reduced class size program, which ensures that five, six and seven-year-olds have smaller classes during those important first years.
Every dollar we spend on education will reap rewards for society. Better-educated and trained young people will be in a much better position to find jobs and to have more rewarding careers. In addition, they will be better able to participate in family and community life. We all know that respect and responsibility are taught first and foremost by family, and those values will now be reinforced at school. The Government's Respect and Responsibility Program is an important plank in helping to improve values that are taught at home and that will now be reinforced at school. The Iemma Government's plan to teach Australian values and to help combat anti-social behaviour will prove in years to come to be the right move. Adding respect and responsibility to the traditional 3Rs of reading, writing and arithmetic will be reinforced and, in some cases learned, so that children respect others and take responsibility for their actions. Australia is a great place to live and we must ensure that every young person has respect for our society, our institutions and our values.
Another initiative will be the school report on respect and responsibility. The Premier has said that schools must be accountable for their performance in improving respect and responsibility. Therefore, he has introduced measures to ensure that every New South Wales school reports to parents on its efforts to improve respect and responsibility among its students. Schools are able to do this effectively and accountably. Schools will also reinforce Australian values and Australian symbols. Schools will be provided with facilities to enable them to do that in a safe and modern way. I call on the Minister to fast-track those further developments on top of the $2.8 million hall, canteen and outdoor covered learning area.