❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the extent of resource sector sponsorship and influence on a secondary school Earth and Environmental Science course, covering curriculum development, teacher training, and potential bias. The government's response generally supports industry partnerships and career-specific training.
AnsweredQoN 6305Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Which corporations in the resources sector are providing financial sponsorship for this course?
(2) How much money are the corporate sponsors contributing to the implementation of this course?
(3) What is the Government Policy on corporate sponsorship of the school curriculum?
(4) Who wrote the curriculum for this course?
(5) What professional training has been given to the secondary teachers responsible for teaching this course?
(6) What sectors, other than the resources sector, are currently providing private sponsorship for secondary school courses?
(7) What is the Government Policy on career specific professional training in schools?
(8) How will the Minister ensure that such career specific training programs do not replace basic core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biology that are traditionally taught in years 11 and 12?
(9) Does the Minister consider it appropriate to systematically teach Western Australian school children a particular viewpoint on an industry through a course that is privately sponsored by that industry?
(10) Did the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia have input into the formulation of the course?
(11) What is the Government Policy on allowing industries to use the Western Australian education system to recruit future workers?
(2) How much money are the corporate sponsors contributing to the implementation of this course?
(3) What is the Government Policy on corporate sponsorship of the school curriculum?
(4) Who wrote the curriculum for this course?
(5) What professional training has been given to the secondary teachers responsible for teaching this course?
(6) What sectors, other than the resources sector, are currently providing private sponsorship for secondary school courses?
(7) What is the Government Policy on career specific professional training in schools?
(8) How will the Minister ensure that such career specific training programs do not replace basic core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biology that are traditionally taught in years 11 and 12?
(9) Does the Minister consider it appropriate to systematically teach Western Australian school children a particular viewpoint on an industry through a course that is privately sponsored by that industry?
(10) Did the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia have input into the formulation of the course?
(11) What is the Government Policy on allowing industries to use the Western Australian education system to recruit future workers?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 June 2008
Responded by
Minister for Local Government representing the Minister for Education and Training
Response time
40 days
(1) The Curriculum Council worked in partnership with Earth Science Western Australia (ESWA) to jointly provide $25,000 each to facilitate the employment of a suitable geoscientist to write resources for the course. The 5 core members of ESWA are from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, The University of Western Australia (UWA), Curtin University of Technology, WA Museum and Geological Society of WA. Others on the board (19 people) include Scitech, Science Teachers' Association of WA, The Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CMEWA), Woodside, Newmont Mining, and Earth Science Museum at UWA, Emeritus Professor John Delaeter, and Department of Industry and Resources. There are other sector organisations such as BHP and TAFE who may offer support but are not on the Board and are not core members. All in all there are about 40 different organisations involved.
(2) None
(3) The Government encourages partnerships involving the private sector and schools.
(4) Mr Wayne Keady and Miss Bernadine Hunneybun of Mater Dei College originally tendered for and won the contract to write the Earth and Environmental Science Course. Miss Bernadine Hunneybun subsequently was appointed project officer of the course in 2006.
(5) Professional development specially targeted at teachers of Earth and Environmental Science (EES) has been provided formally by the Curriculum Council on 13 April, 1 May, 24 July, 12 October and 16 October in 2006; 20 February & 19 June 2007 4-6pm through TDCC network, 19 March Assessment Seminar, 1 May EES Pairwise (Grade descriptors), 30 May AISWA/CEO PD day, 4 September AISWA PD Day, 3 & 4 December EES Conference in 2007
(6) None
(7) Career specific training in the senior years of schooling is desirable in orienting young people towards general career directions and in many instances commencing vocational education and training in specific industry area in schools.
(8) The new Western Australian Certificate of Education requires that students study English throughout Year 11 and 12. There is a breadth requirement in the WACE requiring students to select courses from list A (humanities/arts) and list B (mathematics/sciences)
(9) No
(10) No, however the CMEWA has recently been invited to nominate an industry representative to the Curriculum Council course committee.
(11) The Government is fully supportive of industries using the Western Australian education system to recruit future workers.
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(2) None
(3) The Government encourages partnerships involving the private sector and schools.
(4) Mr Wayne Keady and Miss Bernadine Hunneybun of Mater Dei College originally tendered for and won the contract to write the Earth and Environmental Science Course. Miss Bernadine Hunneybun subsequently was appointed project officer of the course in 2006.
(5) Professional development specially targeted at teachers of Earth and Environmental Science (EES) has been provided formally by the Curriculum Council on 13 April, 1 May, 24 July, 12 October and 16 October in 2006; 20 February & 19 June 2007 4-6pm through TDCC network, 19 March Assessment Seminar, 1 May EES Pairwise (Grade descriptors), 30 May AISWA/CEO PD day, 4 September AISWA PD Day, 3 & 4 December EES Conference in 2007
(6) None
(7) Career specific training in the senior years of schooling is desirable in orienting young people towards general career directions and in many instances commencing vocational education and training in specific industry area in schools.
(8) The new Western Australian Certificate of Education requires that students study English throughout Year 11 and 12. There is a breadth requirement in the WACE requiring students to select courses from list A (humanities/arts) and list B (mathematics/sciences)
(9) No
(10) No, however the CMEWA has recently been invited to nominate an industry representative to the Curriculum Council course committee.
(11) The Government is fully supportive of industries using the Western Australian education system to recruit future workers.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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