Public Education Day—P&C Day WA
Brief ministerial statement
Ms Sabine Winton (Wanneroo—Minister for Education) (1:20 pm): Last week marked two significant days in our school calendar, days that reflect the heart and soul of our public education system. For Labor, public education is part of our DNA. It is deeply rooted in our history and values. We never waver in our belief that every child deserves access to a world-class public education, free from barriers, regardless of postcode or background. That is why last Thursday we proudly celebrated Public Education Day. As a former teacher with 27 years in the public school system, and now as Minister for Education, I am incredibly proud of the outstanding work happening in our classrooms every day.
In WA, we have more than 800 public schools supporting over 300,000 students from kindergarten to year 12. These schools are powered by passionate teachers, education assistants, Aboriginal and Islander education officers, school administration teams and support staff, including gardeners and cleaners—like my own mum and dad. These people ensure our schools are the beating heart of our communities. They create opportunities for children to thrive, discover their passions and grow. To every one of them, I say thank you.
We also celebrated another vital part of our school communities, our incredible parents and citizens and parents and friends volunteers as part of P&C Day WA. Public schools are the heart of the community, and P&C volunteers are the lifeblood. They build strong connections between schools and families, helping students to flourish. I know many of my colleagues joined their local P&Cs last Friday to celebrate. I was privileged to join the member for Maylands at Inglewood Primary School, alongside the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations, to celebrate their wonderful P&C. I give a heartfelt thankyou to principal Nicole West, school board chair Jessie Klaric, and P&C President Mitt Ramgobin for hosting us. In my own patch of Wanneroo, I joined Carramar Primary School P&Cs morning tea with president Simone West and her fantastic committee. Later that day, I was joined by more of my brilliant local P&Cs at my volunteer sundowner event to acknowledge and thank them for their work.
I give a special mention to WACSSO, which has supported and advocated for public school parents across WA for over 90 years. Let us continue to celebrate, support and invest in the people who make our schools extraordinary because every child deserves the chance to thrive.
