The petition of residents of the State of Queensland draws to the attention of the House the community dissatisfaction with the application for acceptance into the 2014 Independent Public Schools program by the Atherton State High School.

We believe that the Independent Public School program has not been running long enough in Queensland to demonstrate to the community that it benefits student outcomes, which is the primary aim of the public education system.

We call upon the Minister to acknowledge that community consultation does not automatically imply community support.  In light of the Minister's comments in Parliament Estimates Hearing on the 23/07/2013 "I cannot imagine that a principal, knowing that the community is opposed to becoming an independent public school ... that the principal would go ahead with trying to make an application to do so". "I would have thought that that school council would be making it pretty clear that there should not be an application."

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call upon the Minister to withhold approval until the true community attitude has been adequately gauged.