1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Report in the paper today about two little kids age 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: six and seven, who asked to go to the loo 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: at Pimpala Primary down in the southern suburbs round Wolfort Bilway, 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: and they were founder one point six kilometers away. I 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: don't know the lows were that far. I think they 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: kept going out of the gates. And Okay, if an 7 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: older child does this at twelve thirteen year old whatever, 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: you'd was concerned clearly. But when little kids do it 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: and they cross south road, I mean six and seven, 10 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: they'd be in grade two, I imagine how does that happen? 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: Peter Kelly, Department of Education on the line, Peter, good morning, 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: how are you? Yeah? All right, thank you? How does 13 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: that happen? How do little kids just wander away from 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: school like that in this day and age. 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, as you said just earlier, Matthew, it seemed 16 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 2: that they asked for pass to go to the bathroom 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: and off they went, and instead of returning back to 18 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: their class a few minutes later, they went for a walk. 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 2: And it would seem that very quickly the staff were 20 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: able to identify that they were where they should have 21 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 2: been and initiated a search, and the parents were actually 22 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 2: on site at the time, because it was right at 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 2: the end of the school day. So the staff began 24 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 2: to search for these children and obviously follow their normal 25 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: protocols and formed the police that they were missing. And 26 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 2: as you said, they were found a distance away. 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: So how is it that they were able to wonder off? 28 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: I know, schools of open driveways and gays. It's not 29 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: a lot place. There's no guards obviously, neither should there 30 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: be really, but the fact they can just stroll out. 31 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 2: Well, fortunately these sorts of things are very very rare. 32 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 2: The reality is that they just made a decision that 33 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: they were going to go for a walk end and 34 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: they left. 35 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: They were found in a business I understand a therapeutic place, 36 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: a naturopathal or similar. 37 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: Yes, that's correct. So the staff there recognized that these 38 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: two children probably shouldn't have been in that area, so 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: they made contact and they looked after them until the 40 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: police were able to rive and look up and take 41 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: them back to their families. 42 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: Unreal so, and they got across south right. Do we 43 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: know did they use the light somewhere along the way. 44 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 2: We are not, of course clear exactly what their pathway was, 45 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 2: but what we do know is that. Fortunately they were 46 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 2: looked after by that local business, and we're very very 47 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: grateful to that business, the staff there, and so of 48 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: course the police and the community for supporting these children. 49 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Peter, should there be a change in procedure, should 50 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: an older child go with young kids to the lou 51 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: if that is necessarily what needs to happen, I mean, 52 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: is it an issue, Well, I imagine it could happen 53 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: at any school obviously. 54 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, what normally happens, Matthew, is if we haven't 55 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: any event of any so we would call this an 56 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: event where we need to look into it. So what 57 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 2: happens is the education director at that school worked with 58 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: the school staff and the leadership team and looked into 59 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 2: whether or not there's any procedural changes or any other 60 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 2: policy pieces that need to be done. And so they've 61 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: been working on that. And obviously, in this particular case, 62 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: these children probably like all children, were not aware or 63 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 2: probably not considering the impact of their actions. And I'm 64 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 2: fairly sure that every parent listening those that the fright 65 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: that these children would have given every adult involved in this. 66 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: I'm absolutely sure of that, no doubt about that whatsoever. 67 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: An age six or seven, you know, they wouldn't have 68 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: a full understanding of their actions. I suppose in terms 69 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: of the concern they probably have got a good idea. 70 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: Now I dare say, but. 71 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: Well, I'm fairly sure that all of the adults involved 72 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 2: have had some conversations about these fact with their actions. 73 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: And probably at a class level as well. I mean, 74 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: that wouldn't be a ridiculous suggestion. Would surely teachers would 75 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: be having this discussion with classes there right now. 76 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: I would suggest, Matthew that all schools have these discussions 77 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: fairly regularly with their student body, and hence the reason 78 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 2: that the schools and preschools all have procedures in place 79 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: to ensure students are where they should be. But if 80 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,239 Speaker 2: something goes wrong, and in this particular case, they also 81 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: had procedures in place to make sure that these children 82 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 2: were found safe. 83 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: And well, yeah, absolutely all right, So they wandered off, 84 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: no one noticed, and now I'm sure there'll be an 85 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: investigation into that at the school. Peter, as you say, thank. 86 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: You for your time, Okay, thanks, Matthew. 87 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: Peter Kelly from the Education Department on a couple of 88 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: young kids age six and seven, so about year two 89 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: level have decided just to wander off after asking to 90 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: go to the loo at the end of the school day, 91 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: parents said to pick them up not long after. Might 92 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: have been there at the time, and the kids are 93 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: strolling down the road quite happily. I, my very first 94 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: day of school, decided to flee. They noticed immediately because 95 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: I was screaming for my mum who just dropped me off, 96 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: and I know she just left. And sitting in the 97 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: classroom there was a nun in charge, young nun relatively, 98 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: who said, anytime you need to go to the toilet, 99 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: just put your hand up and ask. So I did immediately, 100 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: and she said, off you go, and from screaming out 101 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: the gate and she is run after me. I could 102 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: hear the flapping of the clothes behind me as she 103 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: eventually caught up, but I was I got a couple 104 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: of hundred meters down the road.