Celebrating Community Spirit

Hon Heather Roy, Associate Minister Of Education

Wednesday April 8 2009

Speech to celebrate the completion of the Sensory Panels Project; Maitai School, Tasman Street, Nelson; Wednesday, April 8 2009.

Thank you for the introduction Dianne.

Good afternoon Boardmembers, principals, teachers, parents, members of the community and - most importantly - students of Maitai School. Thank you for the invitation, Victoria, to speak to your school and community and to have an official role in today's proceedings.

This is a day of new experiences: firstly, it's a pleasure to be here in my new capacity as Associate Minister of Education; and, secondly, I must admit: this is the first time I have ever had the opportunity to officially open a wall!

You will no doubt be aware that I have been delegated responsibility for Special Education. Despite the fact that it is easy for politicians to get 'stuck in Wellington', I have absolutely no intention of sitting behind my desk reading reports in order to form a distant and remote perspective of the Special Education sector.

From experience I know that there is no better way to learn and understand than by getting out and seeing, doing, and talking to the people involved. I am delighted to be here today to help you celebrate the completion of Maitai School's sensory panels - a project that could not have been achieved without the vision and dedication of so many people working together to make this a success. These people deserve thanks for making this all possible.

To begin with, there was the vision to turn a large stark boundary fence into a tool to assist your students to explore their surroundings and gain a better understanding of the world around them.

From there, detailed planning was required to develop the panels for listening, touching, seeing and smelling - all designed especially for the students. Finally, sheer hard work was required to build this engaging environment. For children with autism, for example, an interactive environment like this one can improve co-ordination and cause-and-effect skills. For children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities, sensory engagement can reduce aggression.

In a former life I was a physiotherapist. Neurology was my Specialist area, so the importance and emphasis on enhanced sensory perception alongside traditional motor training is a familiar concept to me. The importance of sensory engagement for students with special needs must not be forgotten.

I'm sure break times at Maitai School will be great fun for everyone with the addition of this new feature and I'm keen to try the panels for myself.

I understand that the concept behind this environment was developed by designer Lyn Cadenhead, artist Anne Rush and technician Sam Laidlaw. The three of you began with a blank wall and - through the combination of your creative talents, energy and enthusiasm - Maitai School now has 71 panels through which students can enjoy positive sensory experiences.

This is no small achievement. Lyn, your design is truly inspirational; Anne, I understand your experience with regional art projects was invaluable; and, Sam, I am told, your technical expertise has been vital in ensuring that the panels are safe and ready for student interaction.

There are so many more people who have played important roles in making this vision a reality. Funding has come from the Ministry of Education's 'Artists in Schools' scheme, school reserves and the Nelson City council. The local community and businesses have also been generous with both their time and money.

Today is a day of celebration for everyone - students, teachers, families and the Nelson community - and you should all be very proud of your amazing achievement.

I believe you are a shining example of how a community can work together to support the special needs of your children and young people. I want to congratulate you whole-heartedly on the way you have joined together to create this incredible resource.

I have had a great day in Nelson. I'd like to commend you for the way you provide a network of special education options in your area. The ongoing work that Maitai and other local schools provide is an excellent example of the seamless services that make all the difference for children moving from one learning environment to another. I began my day here by sitting in on the Incredible Years programme for parents of challenging children.

From there I went on to visit Waverly Kindergarten - which is delivering a fantastic service for high-needs children - followed by Garin College, which provides outstanding support for disabled students in mainstream education.

I also had the chance to visit Victory, Henley and Waimea Intermediate Schools - all of which work closely with your own school.

These collaborations and strong working relationships offer parents real choice and provide you with a range of education options for your children - from support for students in regular classes, to support for those in a satellite unit or in a special school like Maitai.

Choice in education is something both the ACT and National Parties believe is important for parents. We are aware that there is no 'One Size Fits All' solution. Nowhere is this more true than in Special Education.

Choice is an important piece in the Education jigsaw puzzle that allows our children to reach their full potential. It is for this reason that ACT's Confidence & Supply Agreement with the National Party includes the establishment of an inter-Party working group to explore and consider options for increasing choice in all types of education.

Visiting you is a fitting way to end my day in Nelson, and I am impressed by the strong community spirit that is obviously alive and well at Maitai school.

Now, I don't know about you, but I am eager to try out the sensory panels. So, thank you for inviting me to share in your special day, congratulations on a fantastic achievement, and let me conclude by declaring the Maitai Sensory Panel wall officially open.
Thank you.

ENDS

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