Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Ministers statements: education

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for Medical Research) (14:24): The single most important public investment in our future is in education. Regardless of your postcode, education is the great equaliser and key to our prosperity. Having a strong and cohesive society and respecting and supporting one another all begins with education. That is why the Allan Labor government is committed to providing safe and inclusive learning environments for all Victorian students.

It is also why, as we just heard from the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, last Friday began the 16 days of activism. On this side of the chamber we were all just recently in Queen’s Hall with the Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change to mark the important reform that has happened under the Allan Labor government when it comes to the prevention of family violence. We heard about the Orange Door initiative and the Ballarat saturation initiative, and another important initiative that came out of the Royal Commission into Family Violence is –

David Southwick interjected.

Ben CARROLL: I do not tape people, mate.

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair, Minister.

Ben CARROLL: It all starts with education and respectful relationships. We know when Rosie Batty attended this chamber she spoke about respectful relationships. Respectful relationships begin with education and the curriculum.

We also know why it is so important to study languages other than English. We know that building the Education State is about building the multicultural state. That is why, with the member for Tarneit, we recently had a great meeting with members of the Sikh community from Melbourne’s western suburbs. It is why our government is building three beacon schools in the north, west and east to make sure we have all languages taught in our schools, with a particular focus on Punjabi and Hindi. I congratulate the member for Tarneit for his work. From Bentleigh to Berwick, we stand with our Sikh community. We will never be associated with an event that has neo-Nazis. We will continue to stand with the Sikh community.