❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the criteria for reducing or cancelling swimming lessons in schools, the locations affected since 2017, and travel allowances for swim instructors. The Minister provides some answers and promises further detail.
AnsweredQoN 98Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —
SWIMMING LESSONS
98. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to swimming lessons
facilitated by the Department of Education across Western Australia.
(1) What criteria
are currently used to assess whether swimming lessons should be reduced or
cancelled, and have those criteria changed since 2017?
(2) Since 2017,
where have swimming lessons been reduced or cancelled, either by altered
criteria or the unavailability of swim instructors?
(3) In the event
that swim instructors are required to travel, what form of travel allowance are
they eligible to claim?
SWIMMING LESSONS
98. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to swimming lessons
facilitated by the Department of Education across Western Australia.
(1) What criteria
are currently used to assess whether swimming lessons should be reduced or
cancelled, and have those criteria changed since 2017?
(2) Since 2017,
where have swimming lessons been reduced or cancelled, either by altered
criteria or the unavailability of swim instructors?
(3) In the event
that swim instructors are required to travel, what form of travel allowance are
they eligible to claim?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The criteria
used are enrolments and instructor availability. The criteria have been the
same since about the early 1990s.
(2) Historically,
a small number of scheduled programs—approximately 15 each year—have
not proceeded because there were no available instructors. Due to the casual
employment status of swimming staff, many instructors accept appointments, but
later withdraw from them at short notice due to securing other, ongoing employment.
The Department of Education is unable
to provide the specific detail in the time available. I undertake to provide
this to the honourable member on 10 March 2020.
(3) Swimming instructors
are employed on short-term contracts as casual employees through the Teachers
(Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993. This award does not
make provision for the payment of travel allowances for casual employees. Due
to the challenges presented for service delivery, in some regional and remote
locations, the department established an above-award remuneration package for
swimming staff in 2019. This supported the deployment of instructors from the
metropolitan area to remote and/or regional areas where there were insufficient
instructors.
some notice of the question.
(1) The criteria
used are enrolments and instructor availability. The criteria have been the
same since about the early 1990s.
(2) Historically,
a small number of scheduled programs—approximately 15 each year—have
not proceeded because there were no available instructors. Due to the casual
employment status of swimming staff, many instructors accept appointments, but
later withdraw from them at short notice due to securing other, ongoing employment.
The Department of Education is unable
to provide the specific detail in the time available. I undertake to provide
this to the honourable member on 10 March 2020.
(3) Swimming instructors
are employed on short-term contracts as casual employees through the Teachers
(Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993. This award does not
make provision for the payment of travel allowances for casual employees. Due
to the challenges presented for service delivery, in some regional and remote
locations, the department established an above-award remuneration package for
swimming staff in 2019. This supported the deployment of instructors from the
metropolitan area to remote and/or regional areas where there were insufficient
instructors.
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