❓ Hon Donna Faragher asks about changes to the fee structure for language courses offered by the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE). The Minister confirms changes and provides details on the new cost-recovery model based on school size, commencing in 2019 and affecting all primary year levels.
AnsweredQoN 1079Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL OF ISOLATED AND
DISTANCE EDUCATION — LANGUAGE COURSES
1079. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the provision of language
courses offered by the School of Isolated and Distance Education.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the fee structure
for schools accessing language courses at SIDE has changed?
(2) If yes to (1) —
(a) will the
minister provide more detail on the new fee structure and how it is different
from the previous structure; and
(b) will all
student year levels or only certain year levels be impacted by the new fee
structure?
(3) If yes to (1), when did the new
fee structure come into effect?
DISTANCE EDUCATION — LANGUAGE COURSES
1079. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the provision of language
courses offered by the School of Isolated and Distance Education.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the fee structure
for schools accessing language courses at SIDE has changed?
(2) If yes to (1) —
(a) will the
minister provide more detail on the new fee structure and how it is different
from the previous structure; and
(b) will all
student year levels or only certain year levels be impacted by the new fee
structure?
(3) If yes to (1), when did the new
fee structure come into effect?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) (a) All
schools are provided the funds needed to deliver the Western Australian
curriculum through the student-centred funding model, and that includes the
languages curriculum. It was recognised in 2017 that some schools, particularly
small schools typically located in rural and remote regions, may have
difficulty attracting teachers with the experience and confidence to also teach
the languages curriculum. In response, the Department of Education made
available a range of teaching and learning resources, such as the online
Indonesian program Ketawa and support through lead language schools.
In November 2017, the department
announced that schools would also be able to purchase a languages program
through a lead language school, including the School of Isolated and Distance
Education, on a price-per-class basis. As a result of feedback that a price per
class may not be sustainable for small primary schools, the per-class pricing
model was revised for 2019. The revised
pricing model was communicated to schools on 24 October 2018. From 2019, the
price for accessing a primary languages program through SIDE will be
calculated on a cost-recovery model, which uses a sliding scale based on
student population. The price per student for SIDE languages programs will
range from a maximum of $701 per student for schools with a primary student
population of 200 or more and will reduce for schools with small student
populations. Schools with primary student populations of 60 students or fewer
will not be charged. All schools accessing the SIDE languages program also pay
an additional $5 subject contribution per student to cover the cost of resource
provision.
(b) All primary year levels will be
affected by the new fee structure.
(3) The new fee structure will
commence in 2019.
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) (a) All
schools are provided the funds needed to deliver the Western Australian
curriculum through the student-centred funding model, and that includes the
languages curriculum. It was recognised in 2017 that some schools, particularly
small schools typically located in rural and remote regions, may have
difficulty attracting teachers with the experience and confidence to also teach
the languages curriculum. In response, the Department of Education made
available a range of teaching and learning resources, such as the online
Indonesian program Ketawa and support through lead language schools.
In November 2017, the department
announced that schools would also be able to purchase a languages program
through a lead language school, including the School of Isolated and Distance
Education, on a price-per-class basis. As a result of feedback that a price per
class may not be sustainable for small primary schools, the per-class pricing
model was revised for 2019. The revised
pricing model was communicated to schools on 24 October 2018. From 2019, the
price for accessing a primary languages program through SIDE will be
calculated on a cost-recovery model, which uses a sliding scale based on
student population. The price per student for SIDE languages programs will
range from a maximum of $701 per student for schools with a primary student
population of 200 or more and will reduce for schools with small student
populations. Schools with primary student populations of 60 students or fewer
will not be charged. All schools accessing the SIDE languages program also pay
an additional $5 subject contribution per student to cover the cost of resource
provision.
(b) All primary year levels will be
affected by the new fee structure.
(3) The new fee structure will
commence in 2019.
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