Private Members' Statement
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) (12:17): I commend a group of five students and staff from Campbell House School for Specific Purposes who stepped out of their comfort zones when they travelled to Cambodia in July as part of a volunteer exchange experience. This trip was the second one undertaken by the school, which came about following a chance encounter in 2013 when Principal Marisa Pjanic met Melbourne businessman Aviv Palti in Thailand and they connected over their shared passion for helping others. Aviv is the founder of the non-government organisation [NGO] Cambodia Rural School Trust, which supports orphaned or impoverished children with their education.
Since that initial meeting, Campbell House has made a commitment to sponsor one child's educational needs each year through the NGO. This year, Campbell House raised $2,000 to build a house and provide food supplies to a family for 12 months, which was donated on their recent trip. The experience of travelling to Cambodia was also a personal growth journey for each of the students. They all had anxieties and fears to overcome, but they gained tremendously from the opportunity. One student with autism said that for the first time he felt accepted, valued and happy. He had never ever left his suburb and travelling by tuk-tuk in Cambodia became a rite of passage of sorts. He was able to laugh about his challenges, express gratitude for his experiences and embrace every learning opportunity.
Towards the end of his journey, he delivered a lesson on strengths to 60 students, which was an amazing accomplishment for a young man who had never before spoken in front of anyone. Other incredible stories emerged from the trip. Two of the girls have been inspired to return to Cambodia together to do more volunteer work. They laughed and cried together, shared stories and overcame their anxieties.
The experience gave one girl the impetus to make changes in her own life, while another student came to value education like never before, such was the power of this journey to Cambodia .
Since returning to the school at Glenfield, the students are working with teachers on sharing their journey with others and potentially becoming student leaders themselves — something that would have almost been impossible prior to the trip. I commend the principal, Ms Marisa Pjanic, and her dedicated staff on the fabulous work they do each day transforming the lives of young people, helping students to realise their potential and providing them with opportunities they may not have had otherwise.
I had the privilege of visiting Campbell House in the lead-up to the students' trip to Cambodia. I was impressed with the commitment of teachers to supporting their students' diverse and complex needs. Marisa tells me a lot of healing takes place at the school, which is by design. Many of the students have missed opportunities to develop trusting and authentic relationships in their li v e s, so the staff model positive relationships as part of the learning experience. Teachers and staff not only educate the children but also nurture and connect with them, giving students the support they need to flourish not only at school but also beyond the school gate.
Unlike a typical school environment, Campbell House is set on land behind Hurls tone Agricultural High School, where the green open space provides opportunities for students to connect with nature and enhance their well-being. This unique environment certainly aids students' learning and their wellbeing journey. I fear that the imminent sale of Hurlstone 's f arm and the sad loss of this vital open space will adversely impact Campbell House and adjacent schools for special purposes, including Ajuga and Glenfield Park.
The layout of Campbell House, with classrooms nest led among trees and green space, serves a specific purpose. Any change s to the school's current configuration would undoubtedly not be a good outcome for the students who need it most. It will also potentially undo all of the fabulous work achieved through experiences such as the journey to Cambodia. As the school awaits its fate, I look forward to welcoming Sompeas and Veun two non-government organisation students from Cambodia who will be visiting Australia later this year as part of the ongoing exchange commitment. For the five students and their teachers who travelled to Cambodia it is another opportunity to reconnect with happy memories and once again experience life outside of their comfort zone. These are students with special and complex needs. The journey they had has been a wonderful education beyond the classroom.
