❓ The Minister for Education and Training outlines the government's initiatives to improve education access in Albany, particularly at the tertiary level, highlighting investments in infrastructure and increased student numbers. The answer also criticises the previous government's performance on high school retention rates.
AnsweredQoN 102Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister advise the House what this Government has done to ensure greater participation in education in Albany, including at the tertiary level? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Albany for the question and for his assistance in promoting issues concerning education. I compliment the member for Albany on his demeanour in Parliament, which contrasts with that of members opposite. Is it not a disgrace? I congratulate the member for Albany. The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question and for his assistance in promoting issues concerning education. I compliment the member for Albany on his demeanour in Parliament, which contrasts with that of members opposite. Is it not a disgrace? I congratulate the member for Albany. The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
I thank the member for Albany for the question and for his assistance in promoting issues concerning education. I compliment the member for Albany on his demeanour in Parliament, which contrasts with that of members opposite. Is it not a disgrace? I congratulate the member for Albany. The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question and for his assistance in promoting issues concerning education. I compliment the member for Albany on his demeanour in Parliament, which contrasts with that of members opposite. Is it not a disgrace? I congratulate the member for Albany. The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
I thank the member for Albany for the question and for his assistance in promoting issues concerning education. I compliment the member for Albany on his demeanour in Parliament, which contrasts with that of members opposite. Is it not a disgrace? I congratulate the member for Albany. The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
The member would be pleased to know that this Government has done a lot of work to try to facilitate university access in Albany. It has long been a dream of the people who live in Albany to be able to either attend a university in Perth or a university course in Albany. I remember the debate in the 1970s about creating a new university, which became Murdoch University. Albany put up a very strong case for building the new university there, and the then state member, Leon Watt, promoted it in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that did not occur. However, since we came to office, this Government has worked with the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University to allow people from Albany to access university education. The Government has provided $800 000 to upgrade the old Albany post office to university level standard as the Albany base for the university. As a result, I am pleased to tell the member for Albany that there are now 52 undergraduate UWA students in Albany and 44 postgraduate students. There are 20 first-year places, which will pipeline - that is, grow - to 55 over the next couple of years. It is a magnificent development for this town. People who grew up in metropolitan Perth do not understand how important it is for regional people to be able to access university, especially at first-year level. That bridging period is very important. When young people from Albany finish high school, they can access a first-year university course in Albany without the need to relocate to Perth. When they have matured and are better able to cope with some of the things that they must deal with, they can move to the metropolitan area if they want to. It is a very good development. First-year students at the University of Western Australia in Albany can choose from 35 degree courses. It is not as though they are being offered access to only one or two; there are 35. The Albany campus of UWA offers a full arts degree, and first-year access to the other courses. The Great Southern TAFE also allows access to courses in nursing through Curtin University of Technology, and fine arts through Edith Cowan University. About 30 people are enrolled at university there. It is a very good development for the town. The member for Albany played a part in bringing that matter to our attention and in ensuring that it did not fall off the agenda. More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
More broadly, I will just finish on this note: this Government has turned around the tragic and disgraceful decline in high school retention rates that occurred in this State under the watch of the Court Government. At the end of its term of government, fewer young people were finishing high school successfully than was the case at the beginning of its term of government. That is unbelievable. It was a tragic development. For the first time in more than a decade, retention rates are on the increase in government schools in Western Australia, including in Albany. That is a great achievement. Every parent, including those in this audience, knows now, as do all the young people in the gallery, that it is critically important for young people to successfully complete their education. It is an issue that did not occur to the previous Minister for Education. He had no idea of its importance. When people look at the background of that person, they will understand why. He had no idea of the importance of education and being able to pull people through to the ultimate completion of their education. We are delivering. I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
I want to ask for the help of the Albany community on one other issue. This morning I announced that we will have an education forum in this town on 29 April. I want everybody to come and discuss how we can successfully raise the school leaving age from 15, which it is now - at a Third World level - to 17, which is what it should be. I want all the people of Albany, the chamber of commerce, the local industries, the schools, the TAFE people and the local government authorities to come to our meeting and discuss how we will do it - not if we will do it, because it will happen, but how it will be done. I congratulate the member for Albany.
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