❓ Hon. Neil Thomson questions the Minister for Education regarding declining school attendance rates in WA government schools, particularly for years 7-10, and seeks updated data and explanations for the decline under the current Labor government. The response refers to a previous answer and attributes declines to illness and COVID-19.
AnsweredQoN 1470Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS —
ATTENDANCE DATA
1470. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the answer to question without notice 1438, in which the minister
noted that I had not quoted the right data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
database. I highlight that the school attendance level is in fact much
worse in Western Australian government schools than in the average Australian
government school and worse than the data I quoted in question without notice
1438. I also note that in Western Australian government schools, the school
attendance levels for years 7 to 10 reduced from 64.2 per cent, not 73.2 per
cent as previously quoted, for the first full year of a WA Labor government, to
47.5 per cent, not 54.9 per cent as previously quoted, in 2023.
(1) What was the
school attendance level for government schools for years 7 to 10 for the first
semester of 2024?
(2) When will the
state have attendance level results for government schools for the full year?
(3) Why has there been an ongoing collapse of
attendance under WA Labor, noting that attendance has declined for every
single year Labor has been in power, except for a small recovery post-COVID,
which means that the attendance level is still at historically low and tragic
levels?
The
PRESIDENT : Before I give the call to
the Leader of the House, honourable member, you are very well aware that our
standing order 105 requires that questions are concise and that the chair has
the capacity to rule the question out of order if it does not meet the standing
orders. On this occasion, I will give the call to the Leader of the House to attempt to answer that question, but note that
that question was very close to the line.
ATTENDANCE DATA
1470. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the answer to question without notice 1438, in which the minister
noted that I had not quoted the right data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
database. I highlight that the school attendance level is in fact much
worse in Western Australian government schools than in the average Australian
government school and worse than the data I quoted in question without notice
1438. I also note that in Western Australian government schools, the school
attendance levels for years 7 to 10 reduced from 64.2 per cent, not 73.2 per
cent as previously quoted, for the first full year of a WA Labor government, to
47.5 per cent, not 54.9 per cent as previously quoted, in 2023.
(1) What was the
school attendance level for government schools for years 7 to 10 for the first
semester of 2024?
(2) When will the
state have attendance level results for government schools for the full year?
(3) Why has there been an ongoing collapse of
attendance under WA Labor, noting that attendance has declined for every
single year Labor has been in power, except for a small recovery post-COVID,
which means that the attendance level is still at historically low and tragic
levels?
The
PRESIDENT : Before I give the call to
the Leader of the House, honourable member, you are very well aware that our
standing order 105 requires that questions are concise and that the chair has
the capacity to rule the question out of order if it does not meet the standing
orders. On this occasion, I will give the call to the Leader of the House to attempt to answer that question, but note that
that question was very close to the line.
AnswerView source ↗
Thank
you for your guidance, President. It is difficult for ministers, particularly
in the other place, to provide a concise answer when the question is so
long and requires such a lot of information. Nevertheless, the minister has
provided the following response.
(1)–(2) Please refer to the
answer to question without notice 1438 asked and answered on 12 November 2024.
(3) The
attendance level is defined as the proportion of full-time students whose
attendance rate in semester 1 is equal to or greater than 90 per cent. This is
distinct from the attendance rate, which is defined as the number of actual full-time equivalent student days
attended by full-time students as a percentage of the total number of
possible student days attended over the period. Declines in the attendance
rates and levels are attributable to a severe flu season in 2019 and COVID-19
in 2020. Western Australia's data mirrors that of the nation. Attendance rates and levels increased in 2023. It has
been more difficult for students to achieve an attendance level greater
than or equal to 90 per cent due to additional illness and staying at home if
unwell, something that has been encouraged in schools and workplaces since
COVID. The impact of the COVID pandemic on school attendance rates and the slow
recovery to pre-pandemic levels is something that has been experienced by all
Australian jurisdictions. It is recognised that this is a complex issue that
cannot be solved overnight, but it is one that all governments have committed
to addressing with returning the student
attendance rate for all students to pre-pandemic levels by 2030 being one of
the targets of The better and fairer schools agreement 2025–2034 .
you for your guidance, President. It is difficult for ministers, particularly
in the other place, to provide a concise answer when the question is so
long and requires such a lot of information. Nevertheless, the minister has
provided the following response.
(1)–(2) Please refer to the
answer to question without notice 1438 asked and answered on 12 November 2024.
(3) The
attendance level is defined as the proportion of full-time students whose
attendance rate in semester 1 is equal to or greater than 90 per cent. This is
distinct from the attendance rate, which is defined as the number of actual full-time equivalent student days
attended by full-time students as a percentage of the total number of
possible student days attended over the period. Declines in the attendance
rates and levels are attributable to a severe flu season in 2019 and COVID-19
in 2020. Western Australia's data mirrors that of the nation. Attendance rates and levels increased in 2023. It has
been more difficult for students to achieve an attendance level greater
than or equal to 90 per cent due to additional illness and staying at home if
unwell, something that has been encouraged in schools and workplaces since
COVID. The impact of the COVID pandemic on school attendance rates and the slow
recovery to pre-pandemic levels is something that has been experienced by all
Australian jurisdictions. It is recognised that this is a complex issue that
cannot be solved overnight, but it is one that all governments have committed
to addressing with returning the student
attendance rate for all students to pre-pandemic levels by 2030 being one of
the targets of The better and fairer schools agreement 2025–2034 .
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