❓ The Minister for Education provides an update on the positive reaction to the announcement of independent public schools in Western Australia, highlighting increased autonomy and flexibility for schools to meet diverse student needs.
AnsweredQoN 611Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Yesterday, this government delivered a true revolution in public education that will deliver better outcomes for children. Can the minister please update the house on the reaction to yesterday’s announcement about the creation of independent public schools in Western Australia? Dr E. CONSTABLE
Yesterday, this government delivered a true revolution in public education that will deliver better outcomes for children. Can the minister please update the house on the reaction to yesterday’s announcement about the creation of independent public schools in Western Australia? Dr E. CONSTABLE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kingsley for her question about the announcement yesterday of independent public schools. I have been overwhelmed by positive responses to this initiative. It goes back of course to last November; but nine weeks ago, the Premier and I spoke at a principals’ conference. During the intervening eight or nine weeks, there have been about 200 inquiries to the Department of Education and Training about this initiative. What is most interesting to me is that since the announcement yesterday there has been a lot of community recognition of this initiative. I am particularly gratified that principals have taken up this announcement so positively. For instance, the president of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, Mr Stephen Breen, said in relation to independent public schools that they will be better able to meet students’ needs. That is the whole point of this. This is about students and it is about improving the offerings that we have to students by making decisions at the community level so that they respond to what students need. I refer to a quote from Mr Breen — If they believe that they need an early childhood specialist — That is, if schools or principals believe that — on their staff, they can do that. If they believe they need two chaplains, they can do that. If they believe they need a more experienced business manager to actually handle the developments in the school, they can do that. There is the flexibility to profile staff in schools in the way they wish to. Mr Breen goes on to say — We’re looking at catering for the different context so that schools in the north, let’s say Kununurra, and schools in the city, let’s say Ballajura or Beldon Primary School, all are governed by the same policies. These students have different needs, different wants. For far too long we have stuck to this centralised system of one-size-fits-all. We know, through research, both here and overseas, that that is not the case. The more autonomy that we give to school leaders, the more likely we are to get good results. This government is about increasing initiatives in schools. We are about raising standards and we are about providing what children in different contexts require.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I thank the member for Kingsley for her question about the announcement yesterday of independent public schools. I have been overwhelmed by positive responses to this initiative. It goes back of course to last November; but nine weeks ago, the Premier and I spoke at a principals’ conference. During the intervening eight or nine weeks, there have been about 200 inquiries to the Department of Education and Training about this initiative. What is most interesting to me is that since the announcement yesterday there has been a lot of community recognition of this initiative. I am particularly gratified that principals have taken up this announcement so positively. For instance, the president of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, Mr Stephen Breen, said in relation to independent public schools that they will be better able to meet students’ needs. That is the whole point of this. This is about students and it is about improving the offerings that we have to students by making decisions at the community level so that they respond to what students need. I refer to a quote from Mr Breen — If they believe that they need an early childhood specialist — That is, if schools or principals believe that — on their staff, they can do that. If they believe they need two chaplains, they can do that. If they believe they need a more experienced business manager to actually handle the developments in the school, they can do that. There is the flexibility to profile staff in schools in the way they wish to. Mr Breen goes on to say — We’re looking at catering for the different context so that schools in the north, let’s say Kununurra, and schools in the city, let’s say Ballajura or Beldon Primary School, all are governed by the same policies. These students have different needs, different wants. For far too long we have stuck to this centralised system of one-size-fits-all. We know, through research, both here and overseas, that that is not the case. The more autonomy that we give to school leaders, the more likely we are to get good results. This government is about increasing initiatives in schools. We are about raising standards and we are about providing what children in different contexts require.
I thank the member for Kingsley for her question about the announcement yesterday of independent public schools. I have been overwhelmed by positive responses to this initiative. It goes back of course to last November; but nine weeks ago, the Premier and I spoke at a principals’ conference. During the intervening eight or nine weeks, there have been about 200 inquiries to the Department of Education and Training about this initiative. What is most interesting to me is that since the announcement yesterday there has been a lot of community recognition of this initiative. I am particularly gratified that principals have taken up this announcement so positively. For instance, the president of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, Mr Stephen Breen, said in relation to independent public schools that they will be better able to meet students’ needs. That is the whole point of this. This is about students and it is about improving the offerings that we have to students by making decisions at the community level so that they respond to what students need. I refer to a quote from Mr Breen — If they believe that they need an early childhood specialist — That is, if schools or principals believe that — on their staff, they can do that. If they believe they need two chaplains, they can do that. If they believe they need a more experienced business manager to actually handle the developments in the school, they can do that. There is the flexibility to profile staff in schools in the way they wish to. Mr Breen goes on to say — We’re looking at catering for the different context so that schools in the north, let’s say Kununurra, and schools in the city, let’s say Ballajura or Beldon Primary School, all are governed by the same policies. These students have different needs, different wants. For far too long we have stuck to this centralised system of one-size-fits-all. We know, through research, both here and overseas, that that is not the case. The more autonomy that we give to school leaders, the more likely we are to get good results. This government is about increasing initiatives in schools. We are about raising standards and we are about providing what children in different contexts require.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I thank the member for Kingsley for her question about the announcement yesterday of independent public schools. I have been overwhelmed by positive responses to this initiative. It goes back of course to last November; but nine weeks ago, the Premier and I spoke at a principals’ conference. During the intervening eight or nine weeks, there have been about 200 inquiries to the Department of Education and Training about this initiative. What is most interesting to me is that since the announcement yesterday there has been a lot of community recognition of this initiative. I am particularly gratified that principals have taken up this announcement so positively. For instance, the president of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, Mr Stephen Breen, said in relation to independent public schools that they will be better able to meet students’ needs. That is the whole point of this. This is about students and it is about improving the offerings that we have to students by making decisions at the community level so that they respond to what students need. I refer to a quote from Mr Breen — If they believe that they need an early childhood specialist — That is, if schools or principals believe that — on their staff, they can do that. If they believe they need two chaplains, they can do that. If they believe they need a more experienced business manager to actually handle the developments in the school, they can do that. There is the flexibility to profile staff in schools in the way they wish to. Mr Breen goes on to say — We’re looking at catering for the different context so that schools in the north, let’s say Kununurra, and schools in the city, let’s say Ballajura or Beldon Primary School, all are governed by the same policies. These students have different needs, different wants. For far too long we have stuck to this centralised system of one-size-fits-all. We know, through research, both here and overseas, that that is not the case. The more autonomy that we give to school leaders, the more likely we are to get good results. This government is about increasing initiatives in schools. We are about raising standards and we are about providing what children in different contexts require.
I thank the member for Kingsley for her question about the announcement yesterday of independent public schools. I have been overwhelmed by positive responses to this initiative. It goes back of course to last November; but nine weeks ago, the Premier and I spoke at a principals’ conference. During the intervening eight or nine weeks, there have been about 200 inquiries to the Department of Education and Training about this initiative. What is most interesting to me is that since the announcement yesterday there has been a lot of community recognition of this initiative. I am particularly gratified that principals have taken up this announcement so positively. For instance, the president of the Western Australian Primary Principals’ Association, Mr Stephen Breen, said in relation to independent public schools that they will be better able to meet students’ needs. That is the whole point of this. This is about students and it is about improving the offerings that we have to students by making decisions at the community level so that they respond to what students need. I refer to a quote from Mr Breen — If they believe that they need an early childhood specialist — That is, if schools or principals believe that — on their staff, they can do that. If they believe they need two chaplains, they can do that. If they believe they need a more experienced business manager to actually handle the developments in the school, they can do that. There is the flexibility to profile staff in schools in the way they wish to. Mr Breen goes on to say — We’re looking at catering for the different context so that schools in the north, let’s say Kununurra, and schools in the city, let’s say Ballajura or Beldon Primary School, all are governed by the same policies. These students have different needs, different wants. For far too long we have stuck to this centralised system of one-size-fits-all. We know, through research, both here and overseas, that that is not the case. The more autonomy that we give to school leaders, the more likely we are to get good results. This government is about increasing initiatives in schools. We are about raising standards and we are about providing what children in different contexts require.
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