❓ Question concerns teacher shortages in WA, referencing a 2002 report and seeking details on implemented recommendations. The Minister disputes the shortage figures and outlines government initiatives to address the issue, accusing the opposition of politicising the matter.
AnsweredQoN 351Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TEACHER SHORTAGE
I refer to the shortage of teachers in Western Australia, which stood at around 200 at the start of the 2007 school year and which is still a disgraceful 92 at the start of term 3, with predictions that the shortage will worsen in coming years. (1) Is the minister aware of the teacher exit survey, which was presented to the former Minister for Education and Training in 2002 - that is the current Premier, of course - and which outlined the likelihood of future teacher shortages in Western Australian schools? (2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN
I refer to the shortage of teachers in Western Australia, which stood at around 200 at the start of the 2007 school year and which is still a disgraceful 92 at the start of term 3, with predictions that the shortage will worsen in coming years. (1) Is the minister aware of the teacher exit survey, which was presented to the former Minister for Education and Training in 2002 - that is the current Premier, of course - and which outlined the likelihood of future teacher shortages in Western Australian schools? (2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(1) Is the minister aware of the teacher exit survey, which was presented to the former Minister for Education and Training in 2002 - that is the current Premier, of course - and which outlined the likelihood of future teacher shortages in Western Australian schools? (2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(1) Is the minister aware of the teacher exit survey, which was presented to the former Minister for Education and Training in 2002 - that is the current Premier, of course - and which outlined the likelihood of future teacher shortages in Western Australian schools? (2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(2) How many of the recommendations in this report have been implemented with a view to averting the crisis that has now developed? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: (1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
(1)-(2) For a start, the member for Darling Range has got his figures wrong. At the moment, we have a shortage of around 60, out of 22 000. Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr C.J. Barnett : Only 60! Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Does the member for Cottesloe remember the figure when he was the minister? It was roughly the same. In 1998-99, the figure was around 50 at a similar point throughout the year, so it was roughly the same. The member for Cottesloe likes to make these sorts of remarks. However, the figure was roughly the same when he was the minister. The difference is that unlike the member for Cottesloe and the Liberal Party when in office, this government is doing something about it. Back in 2003 or 2004, there were more teachers than positions available. We may have had questions from members opposite about that, but certainly we had complaints that there were more teachers than positions available. The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
The truth of the matter is that this year the incredible strength of the Western Australian economy has come to bear and many people are doing other things. The flow of people into Western Australia from the eastern states is increasing the demand for teachers in this state. The question is: what do we do about it? The department and I have been out in the community every week with new initiatives relating to this issue. Currently we are recruiting graduates six months earlier than we used to. We used to start the recruitment process in November or December, and we started in June this year. We are now approaching 8 000 registered teachers who, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently working, and we are asking them to come back into the workforce. The department has changed the arrangements to improve the transfer possibilities for teachers in country Western Australia back to the city. It is also improving the possibility for teachers on contract in the country to obtain permanency to make them feel valued. These things have not been done before. This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
This government is taking the entire issue of workforce planning seriously to ensure that we have enough teachers. We do not live in a regulated society in which teachers are part of the Army and I can make them do whatever I want them to do. However, this government is taking practical steps to improve their conditions and to recruit them back into the workforce. This is the first government to take the workforce planning issue seriously. This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
This does not apply as much to the member for Darling Range, but instead to the opposition spokesman who is attempting to build this into a political issue by running the argument that there is chaos in the public education sector. He should work with the government to try to come up with positive and practical solutions to this problem. I have been advised anecdotally that private schools are also undergoing the same problem. Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden : As of today, they are nine teachers short. Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGowan : The member for Avon is wrong. I heard the member for Cockburn say the other day that the member for Avon is the sort of guy who will self-immolate himself on the steps of the local police station as a protest, and now he is coming out with false figures pertaining to this matter. We are undertaking practical solutions - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Is the member going to self-immolate himself? Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M.W. Trenorden : Your schools are teaching students maths by telephone. Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The government is taking this issue seriously and it would be good if the opposition did so also.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.