Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (12:19): My question is addressed to the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Education and Early Learning. Will the Deputy Premier update the House on support being provided through the New South Wales Government's terror response as our children return to school?

Ms PRUE CAR (Londonderry—Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning, and Minister for Western Sydney) (12:19): I thank the member for Campbelltown, my Parliamentary Secretary, for that question and for all the work that he has done during my period of treatment. In the wake of the horrible attack on 14 December, regardless of where we sit in this Chamber, I know that we all join together in acknowledging that none of us could ever imagine the pain or the trauma of having the conversation with our children to explain that terror and the type of hate that leads to what happened at Bondi Beach.

Imagine some of those children arriving at school for the first day yesterday or, for some schools, last week, and what it was like for those children walking in the school gates. The first day of school should be about the excitement of sharing what they did on holiday, maybe showing off a broken arm or something like that, getting their teachers and meeting the new students. But for many students, particularly around the eastern suburbs, it was a totally different beginning to the school year. We cannot do anything about that but, as a government, we have been able to turn our mind to how we support those school communities and those children, because we know that schools are the very heart of their communities.

While that attack happened during the end-of-year period, it is now our job to support those schools and families as their children return to school. We have been able to work with schools across all sectors—in our own government sector as well as the independent sectors—to make sure that we are doing everything we can to support with counselling. That is specific, trauma-informed counselling. I believe we have been working with a specially trained psychologist from Israel who has done special, trauma-based counselling in Jewish day schools. We have offered professional learning to teachers across the State. We have worked on that with the Jewish Board of Deputies because, sadly, it is a very particular type of trauma that our schools are dealing with as our students return. I have spoken with a number of principals dealing with some very complex sets of circumstances. [Extension of time]

As we deal with the shadow of that horrible day, the principals, leaders and headmasters of schools in those communities will be vital in helping those communities recover—that seems like a very hopeful word—repair themselves and help children to maybe not understand what has happened but get through and be in a safe space emotionally. They can come to school and do something normal, like learn, be with their friends and participate in the wonderful experience that is going to school: the learning, the social interaction on the playground and with their peers, and all of the things that we know children get from that experience. That counselling has been offered. We will be making sure that we keep an eye on how it is being rolled out.

I am sad that we are in a situation where I need to say this as the education Minister, but we have offered extra security support to schools across the eastern suburbs and schools with a high proportion of Jewish students. I know we all wish we did not need to be talking about this but, sadly, that is the reality, and we will continue to monitor the situation. Schools are safe places. They are places not only of learning but also of belonging. So it is incumbent upon us, as a government, to support all of our school systems to be safe places where children can seek a refuge in their community. I thank the teachers and principals of all schools. They do so much, and they go above and beyond their first job, which is to impart knowledge. They are wrapping their arms around those kids. I thank them so much, and we will continue to support them.