A parliamentary question regarding the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme funding for years 11 and 12 students, focusing on discrepancies in previous statements made by the Minister for Education and the status of funding allocation and duration.

AnsweredQoN 219Legislative Assembly
Asked
12 April 2011
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

EDUCATION — ABORIGINAL TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME
I refer to the year 11 and 12 Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme and the minister’s now incomplete answer in the Parliament on 24 March 2011 in which she stated — This is commonwealth funding, and I understand that it is the commonwealth funding that has not come through at this point for years 11 and 12. (1) How is this statement out of context or incomplete? (2) In her answer on 24 March, the minister also stated — … that the funding has increased from 32 weeks a year to 40 weeks a year. Is that complete or incomplete? (3) Now that the minister has confirmed that her previous answer was not correct, will she immediately reinstate this key front-line service and apologise to the house for her misleading answer? Dr E. CONSTABLE

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Victoria Park for his question. (1)–(3) I must say that when I went back and read the question I clearly did not express what I was intending to express. It is commonwealth funding in the national education agreement, and when I said “come through” I meant it had been sent through to schools by the department, so I did not express that clearly at all and I apologise for that. The Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme funding for primary schools, for year 4 and 6 students based on their year 3 and 5 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy results, had been sent to schools and schools have been informed about that funding. Similarly, for year 8 and 10 students in lower secondary school based on their NAPLAN results in year 7 and 9—the previous year—that funding had been sent through. The funding for upper school is a state-based initiative—I had originally been told that that was part of a commonwealth initiative—to provide tutorial assistance particularly to those students doing an Australian tertiary admission rank or Western Australian Certificate of Education program in years 11 and 12. This year, that funding is based on the census data that became available at the beginning of March. School enrolment information was sent to the department and, based on that information, the students in years 11 and 12 have been offered tutorial assistance. I am told that about only one-third of students in years 11 and 12 take up that offer. Mr B.S. Wyatt : And the 40 weeks? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
(2) In her answer on 24 March, the minister also stated — … that the funding has increased from 32 weeks a year to 40 weeks a year. Is that complete or incomplete? (3) Now that the minister has confirmed that her previous answer was not correct, will she immediately reinstate this key front-line service and apologise to the house for her misleading answer? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I thank the member for Victoria Park for his question. (1)–(3) I must say that when I went back and read the question I clearly did not express what I was intending to express. It is commonwealth funding in the national education agreement, and when I said “come through” I meant it had been sent through to schools by the department, so I did not express that clearly at all and I apologise for that. The Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme funding for primary schools, for year 4 and 6 students based on their year 3 and 5 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy results, had been sent to schools and schools have been informed about that funding. Similarly, for year 8 and 10 students in lower secondary school based on their NAPLAN results in year 7 and 9—the previous year—that funding had been sent through. The funding for upper school is a state-based initiative—I had originally been told that that was part of a commonwealth initiative—to provide tutorial assistance particularly to those students doing an Australian tertiary admission rank or Western Australian Certificate of Education program in years 11 and 12. This year, that funding is based on the census data that became available at the beginning of March. School enrolment information was sent to the department and, based on that information, the students in years 11 and 12 have been offered tutorial assistance. I am told that about only one-third of students in years 11 and 12 take up that offer. Mr B.S. Wyatt : And the 40 weeks? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I thank the member for Victoria Park for his question. (1)–(3) I must say that when I went back and read the question I clearly did not express what I was intending to express. It is commonwealth funding in the national education agreement, and when I said “come through” I meant it had been sent through to schools by the department, so I did not express that clearly at all and I apologise for that. The Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme funding for primary schools, for year 4 and 6 students based on their year 3 and 5 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy results, had been sent to schools and schools have been informed about that funding. Similarly, for year 8 and 10 students in lower secondary school based on their NAPLAN results in year 7 and 9—the previous year—that funding had been sent through. The funding for upper school is a state-based initiative—I had originally been told that that was part of a commonwealth initiative—to provide tutorial assistance particularly to those students doing an Australian tertiary admission rank or Western Australian Certificate of Education program in years 11 and 12. This year, that funding is based on the census data that became available at the beginning of March. School enrolment information was sent to the department and, based on that information, the students in years 11 and 12 have been offered tutorial assistance. I am told that about only one-third of students in years 11 and 12 take up that offer. Mr B.S. Wyatt : And the 40 weeks? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
I thank the member for Victoria Park for his question. (1)–(3) I must say that when I went back and read the question I clearly did not express what I was intending to express. It is commonwealth funding in the national education agreement, and when I said “come through” I meant it had been sent through to schools by the department, so I did not express that clearly at all and I apologise for that. The Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme funding for primary schools, for year 4 and 6 students based on their year 3 and 5 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy results, had been sent to schools and schools have been informed about that funding. Similarly, for year 8 and 10 students in lower secondary school based on their NAPLAN results in year 7 and 9—the previous year—that funding had been sent through. The funding for upper school is a state-based initiative—I had originally been told that that was part of a commonwealth initiative—to provide tutorial assistance particularly to those students doing an Australian tertiary admission rank or Western Australian Certificate of Education program in years 11 and 12. This year, that funding is based on the census data that became available at the beginning of March. School enrolment information was sent to the department and, based on that information, the students in years 11 and 12 have been offered tutorial assistance. I am told that about only one-third of students in years 11 and 12 take up that offer. Mr B.S. Wyatt : And the 40 weeks? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
(1)–(3) I must say that when I went back and read the question I clearly did not express what I was intending to express. It is commonwealth funding in the national education agreement, and when I said “come through” I meant it had been sent through to schools by the department, so I did not express that clearly at all and I apologise for that. The Aboriginal tutorial assistance scheme funding for primary schools, for year 4 and 6 students based on their year 3 and 5 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy results, had been sent to schools and schools have been informed about that funding. Similarly, for year 8 and 10 students in lower secondary school based on their NAPLAN results in year 7 and 9—the previous year—that funding had been sent through. The funding for upper school is a state-based initiative—I had originally been told that that was part of a commonwealth initiative—to provide tutorial assistance particularly to those students doing an Australian tertiary admission rank or Western Australian Certificate of Education program in years 11 and 12. This year, that funding is based on the census data that became available at the beginning of March. School enrolment information was sent to the department and, based on that information, the students in years 11 and 12 have been offered tutorial assistance. I am told that about only one-third of students in years 11 and 12 take up that offer. Mr B.S. Wyatt : And the 40 weeks? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : I will need to look at this for the member, but I believe the 32 to 40 weeks applies to the primary and to the lower secondary — Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : But not to upper secondary? Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : As I understand, upper secondary is a state-based initiative, and this year the funds will come through for second term.

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