More speeches

Remarks at the Launch of No School No Play

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

NO SCHOOL NO PLAY

I am delighted to be here today to announce that the Gillard Labor Government will form a partnership with eight National Sporting Organisations to develop programs that boost school attendance amongst our kids.

The 'No School No Play' initiative will harness the power of sport to keep kids in school and give all young Australians the best possible start in life.

We know that there is nothing more important than ensuring children go to school regularly so they can get a good education and have the best chance at a great future.

That is why the Gillard Labor Government has announced it will increase the maximum payment rate of Family Tax Benefit A by more than $150 per fortnight for teenagers aged 16 to 18 who are in school or an equivalent vocational qualification.


We know that young people who don't finish year 12 are more than twice as likely to be unemployed or unable to do further study than those who finish year 12.

Completing school vastly increases a young person's chances of moving into employment and the first step is making sure students who are in school attend every day.

According to the most recent statistics school attendance at age 15 is at 89 per cent but that falls to 81 per cent at age 16, and 66 per cent at age 17. For Indigenous young people school attendance rates are lower  73 per cent for 15 year olds, 55 per cent for 16 year olds and 36 per cent for 17 year olds.

This initiative will be delivered in a partnership between the Gillard Government and the Australian Rugby League, Australian Football League, Australian Rugby Union, Football Federation of Australia, Netball Australia, Basketball Australia, Hockey Australia, and Cricket Australia.

These national sporting organisations will be doing two things: implementing strategies at a national level and facilitating programs at a local level  all aimed at improving school attendance amongst our kids.

There will be no single model for the operation of No School No Play projects  they will be determined by local needs in partnership with the local schools, parents and community.

Some of the programs might include

- Providing mentoring and leadership development for students;
- Parents making a commitment to regular school attendance for their child as part of the player registration process;
- Incorporating school sign off as well as parent sign off on consent forms;
- Arrange visits/clinics by sporting ambassadors; and
- Offering reward programs to students or schools with improved attendance.



No School No Play is not about punishing young people who don't go to school  it is about encouraging local partnerships between sporting clubs, schools, parents and kids that promote school attendance.

There are some clubs out there who have already developed programs in partnership with local schools to ensure kids to go to school, and we want to build on those successes.

The Gillard Labor Government is providing $2 million as start up funding to assist these organisations to put in place the necessary program infrastructure to deliver local programs.

Between now and November the participating National Sporting Organisations will be developing implementation plans, with the assistance of the Department of Education, that will set out targets, how they are to be achieved and reporting.

The plans will also outline specific project locations and target schools. These will focus primarily on assisting high school students and schools in locations with low school attendance that will benefit most from No School No Play.

No School No Play will be ready to be implemented by local sporting clubs, schools and communities by the start of the school term 2011.

It is through initiatives, like this, in partnership with National Sporting Organisations the Gillard Government continues to demonstrate it's commitment to promote the broader benefits of sport to the community and in which we support the development links with between local clubs and local schools.

As Minister for Sport, I have seen first hand that sport is a great motivator for many young people.

The sporting field is a great place for young people to learn the value of team work, discipline and hard work. No School No Play aims to ensure these values are also associated with the class room.

We want to build an understanding among our kids that school is as essential to getting ahead in life as training is to playing a good game on the weekend.

'No School, No Play' recognises that ensuring our kids go to school is everyone's responsibility  parents, schools, Government, local sporting clubs and communities, and that strategies to achieve this are the most effective at a local level.

More speeches