❓ The Minister for Education confirms the government has met its election commitment to increase the number of school psychologists by 60, ahead of schedule, and outlines initiatives to attract psychologists to remote areas.
AnsweredQoN 199Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS — incentive
program
199. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for Education:
Could the minister
please update the house on the election commitment the government made to increase
by 60 persons the number of school psychologists working with students and
families?
program
199. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for Education:
Could the minister
please update the house on the election commitment the government made to increase
by 60 persons the number of school psychologists working with students and
families?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for Kingsley for her question and for her interest in education and especially
this particular subject. On coming into government in 2008 there was an
election commitment to increase the number of school psychologists by 50 and
behaviour management specialists by 10. We have reached that target of 60 extra
school psychologists almost a year ahead of target. We were looking to add 60 school
psychologists during this term of government and we have reached that target.
When we came into government there were 204 full-time equivalent psychologists
in our schools and now there are 266.9 as of this week. Those 60 additional
psychologists amount to a 30 per cent increase in psychologists in our schools,
which is a pretty hefty increase in just over three years. I thank the
Department of Education for the work it has put in to reach this target well
ahead of schedule.
We all know how
important school psychologists are. They are important because they help to
diagnose learning difficulties and disabilities, particularly in young
children, but more particularly it is important to have school psychologists in
high schools to help students with emotional issues, relationship issues,
issues with their peers and others, such as when there is bullying in schools,
and for their emotional wellbeing and other aspects of their development. One
thing I think our schools and our department do incredibly well is to assist
schools and students when specific incidents and traumatic events occur. One
thing our school psychologists also do extremely well is to be very proactive;
they do not wait for problems to occur but are proactive in putting preventative
programs in place in our schools, and they work with not only students but also
teachers and parents. One issue we have in this state, and have had for a long
time, is in attracting school psychologists and other professionals to the more
remote parts of the state. We recently announced an incentive program in 16 schools
where we want to base school psychologists. They will be offered $14 000 a year
over the usual salary to attract them to work in Pilbara, Kimberley and
goldfields' schools. I am hoping that that will again increase the
number of school psychologists that we have. We can be pleased to know that we
have reached this target well ahead of time.
for Kingsley for her question and for her interest in education and especially
this particular subject. On coming into government in 2008 there was an
election commitment to increase the number of school psychologists by 50 and
behaviour management specialists by 10. We have reached that target of 60 extra
school psychologists almost a year ahead of target. We were looking to add 60 school
psychologists during this term of government and we have reached that target.
When we came into government there were 204 full-time equivalent psychologists
in our schools and now there are 266.9 as of this week. Those 60 additional
psychologists amount to a 30 per cent increase in psychologists in our schools,
which is a pretty hefty increase in just over three years. I thank the
Department of Education for the work it has put in to reach this target well
ahead of schedule.
We all know how
important school psychologists are. They are important because they help to
diagnose learning difficulties and disabilities, particularly in young
children, but more particularly it is important to have school psychologists in
high schools to help students with emotional issues, relationship issues,
issues with their peers and others, such as when there is bullying in schools,
and for their emotional wellbeing and other aspects of their development. One
thing I think our schools and our department do incredibly well is to assist
schools and students when specific incidents and traumatic events occur. One
thing our school psychologists also do extremely well is to be very proactive;
they do not wait for problems to occur but are proactive in putting preventative
programs in place in our schools, and they work with not only students but also
teachers and parents. One issue we have in this state, and have had for a long
time, is in attracting school psychologists and other professionals to the more
remote parts of the state. We recently announced an incentive program in 16 schools
where we want to base school psychologists. They will be offered $14 000 a year
over the usual salary to attract them to work in Pilbara, Kimberley and
goldfields' schools. I am hoping that that will again increase the
number of school psychologists that we have. We can be pleased to know that we
have reached this target well ahead of time.
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