Check against delivery
To my friend Ali Khan – who I’ve just noticed in the audience here – to Mr Mohamed Hassan OAM, to all the dignitaries and leaders, to the Mayor of Dandenong, to the authors of the book we’re here to celebrate launch, but most importantly, to the parents, students, the former collegians and all the community leaders who have pulled together and made this school what it is and led to the celebration we’re having tonight.
I’ll read a message on behalf of the Prime Minister before I make a few comments myself.
“I am pleased to provide this message for the launch of Standing Tall: The story of Minaret College.
This book documents the success of your school over 20 years. It is testament to the contribution of staff, students and parents.
To grow from just 22 students and one teacher to more than 1,600 students and 150 staff over two campuses is a great achievement.
For many students, Minaret College has served as a place of learning, friendship and faith.
There are few things more important than a good education in preparing young people for the challenges of life. Minaret College has helped thousands of students to achieve their potential.
The success of schools like Minaret College is underpinned by strong parental involvement, community participation and shared values. These are the foundations upon which a child’s education rests.
As the school community celebrates Minaret College’s 20th anniversary, I join with students and parents in paying tribute to the contribution of staff and teachers, both past and present.
I send my best wishes for an enjoyable evening.”
The Honourable Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia.
It’s also a privilege for me personally to come here this evening, and it marks my first visit to this museum as well.
Mrs Hassan, I think, mentioned the story of the neighbours of this museum signing petitions but then coming here and outlining how much they enjoyed their new neighbours.
I think that reflects the optimism that all Australians have about our nation. The doors of people, who might have felt unwelcome, are open to those who might not have been the most welcoming initially.
And similarly, those who may not have been the most welcoming can actually reflect upon and enjoy their new neighbours.
After all, familiarity is the source of our community bonds in so many ways.
It was a particular privilege to be appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education because schools are critical institutions.
One of the reasons Australia, in my view, is such a successful and harmonious multicultural society – which we do tend to talk about over the last 40 years, but as people have quite rightly pointed out, and the first of Glen’s books that was originally a chapter will remind us all that it’s always been a multicultural society, even if we haven’t spoken about it in the same way – is that schools give communities a place to come together.
Schools give people a place to plug into a new society when they arrive.
For many years – it seems so distant now – we did have major sectarian problems in Australia. It was not that long ago where a person from one Christian faith could not marry a person of another Christian faith without finding it hard.
I know because they were my parents 43 years ago. A Catholic found it hard to marry a Protestant, and they had to search Melbourne to find a priest to do it.
One of the key steps to overcoming that particular scourge in our society was the unique Australian education system, where we, at all levels of government, support non-government schools as places that can bring communities together, that can give communities old and new a sense of investment and ownership not only over the community today, but over the world their children will build.
So, as someone who is a product of a Catholic education system that was built by nuns and volunteers 100 years ago and benefited from that, could I congratulate all of those led by Mr Hassan, who two decades ago – and in other states in Australian, three and four decades ago – took the step to actually build a school community that reflects a type of particular education, but also opens its arms to every other Australian who shares those values.
Congratulations to you all, it’s a privilege to join you here tonight – my particular congratulations to the authors of the book. I always have admiration for those who can apply themselves and actually finish something, being one of those who tends to start and not finish all the time.
It is a great and right celebration that we have tonight, and it’s a privilege to be able to join you.
(Ends)