❓ Hon. Aaron Stonehouse questions the Minister for Education and Training regarding the minimum school starting age in WA and the criteria for delayed entry. The Minister confirms existing practices and states there are no plans to review the policy.
AnsweredQoN 1219Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —
COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE
1219. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer the minister to recent
calls by the Australian Childcare Alliance to lift the minimum school starting
age in Western Australia from 4.5 years to five years, and note that parents
can request delayed entry into the system for their child only under
exceptional circumstances.
(1) What, if any,
advice does the department offer principals to assist them in deciding whether
a given request constitutes exceptional circumstances?
(2) Given that WA
has the lowest school entry age of any state or territory in Australia, with
many allowing starts as late as at six years of age and Queensland going as far
as 6.5 years, does the government have any plans to review the current WA
policy to at least give parents, who are surely the best judges of their child's
developmental level, some level of choice on when they begin their child's
schooling?
COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE
1219. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer the minister to recent
calls by the Australian Childcare Alliance to lift the minimum school starting
age in Western Australia from 4.5 years to five years, and note that parents
can request delayed entry into the system for their child only under
exceptional circumstances.
(1) What, if any,
advice does the department offer principals to assist them in deciding whether
a given request constitutes exceptional circumstances?
(2) Given that WA
has the lowest school entry age of any state or territory in Australia, with
many allowing starts as late as at six years of age and Queensland going as far
as 6.5 years, does the government have any plans to review the current WA
policy to at least give parents, who are surely the best judges of their child's
developmental level, some level of choice on when they begin their child's
schooling?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Principals are advised to consider the student's
educational needs and personal circumstances in consultation with the
parents. Collaboration between a principal and a student's family to
determine the most suitable class placement is a longstanding practice. A
student's age is a key consideration in their class placement. This does not, however, preclude placement with
younger or older students when this best meets a student's
long-term educational needs.
(2) No.
some notice of the question.
(1) Principals are advised to consider the student's
educational needs and personal circumstances in consultation with the
parents. Collaboration between a principal and a student's family to
determine the most suitable class placement is a longstanding practice. A
student's age is a key consideration in their class placement. This does not, however, preclude placement with
younger or older students when this best meets a student's
long-term educational needs.
(2) No.
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