❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Education's credibility regarding school funding, citing past financial losses in his previous role as Minister for Energy. The Minister clarifies his comments, focusing on inefficient student-to-staff ratios in secondary schools.
AnsweredQoN 507Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION — SCHOOLS —
COMMENTS
507. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Education:
I refer the
Minister for Education to his recent comments in the media about inefficient
schools.
(1) How can
the minister accuse schools of being inefficient when in the past five years
school bank balances have grown by more than $98 million, compared with his
record as the former Minister for Energy, which saw more than $1 billion in
losses, including $600 million on a bungled solar panel scheme, $300 million on
Muja A and B power stations and $100 million on the Pilbara underground power
project?
(2) Why should
Western Australian taxpayers trust the minister with anything related to
funding given his appalling track record with taxpayers' money?
The
PRESIDENT : There are
certain imputations in that question.
COMMENTS
507. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Education:
I refer the
Minister for Education to his recent comments in the media about inefficient
schools.
(1) How can
the minister accuse schools of being inefficient when in the past five years
school bank balances have grown by more than $98 million, compared with his
record as the former Minister for Energy, which saw more than $1 billion in
losses, including $600 million on a bungled solar panel scheme, $300 million on
Muja A and B power stations and $100 million on the Pilbara underground power
project?
(2) Why should
Western Australian taxpayers trust the minister with anything related to
funding given his appalling track record with taxpayers' money?
The
PRESIDENT : There are
certain imputations in that question.
AnswerView source ↗
I do not
expect any less, Mr President.
I thank the
honourable member for the question.
(1)–(2)
I want to make clear to the honourable member that I did not say schools were
inefficient. I said student-to-staff ratios in our secondary schools are the
most inefficient in the nation. That is the fact.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : But you were inefficient.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I am answering the honourable member's
question. They are the most inefficient in the nation.
Hon Sue Ellery : You said our schools could be more
efficient, that is what you said at the beginning, back on 20 August.
Hon PETER COLLIER : The government wants them to be
more efficient; that does not mean that they are inefficient. The honourable
member has said specifically that they are the most inefficient. I am talking
about staff-to-student ratios. I said that. If the honourable member looks at
any interview I have done, I have always said that the staff-to-student ratio
is the most inefficient in the nation, and it is. At the moment, as I said, we
have the lowest staff-to-student ratio of any state. What we want to do with
the student-centred model is ensure we move beyond that, because primary
schools on the other hand are the most efficient. There is an inequity between
secondary and primary schools, where some classes at the secondary school level
have four or five students and primary schools do not have the same ratios.
That is the whole point of the exercise.
Hon Sue Ellery i nterjected.
Hon PETER COLLIER : The Leader of the Opposition would
get exactly the same advice, and if she went out and spoke to primary schools
and spoke to secondary school children —
Hon Sue Ellery : You know I am.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Yes, I know the Leader of the
Opposition is. That is what I am saying; that they will tell her exactly that.
Hon Sue Ellery : That is not what they are saying.
Hon PETER COLLIER : We will get back to that, but I
suggest that if the Leader of the Opposition were to speak to the principals
associations they would tell her exactly that. In regard to the inefficiencies
at the high school level, the facts are there. It is not me; I am not making it
up. The facts are there. The changes the government is making will reform the
education system. It is a massive reform recommended by Professor Teese. He has
recommended these changes. He is the one who said that the current system is
flawed and it is in need of reform. The government is taking the difficult yet
necessary decision to implement those reforms.
expect any less, Mr President.
I thank the
honourable member for the question.
(1)–(2)
I want to make clear to the honourable member that I did not say schools were
inefficient. I said student-to-staff ratios in our secondary schools are the
most inefficient in the nation. That is the fact.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : But you were inefficient.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I am answering the honourable member's
question. They are the most inefficient in the nation.
Hon Sue Ellery : You said our schools could be more
efficient, that is what you said at the beginning, back on 20 August.
Hon PETER COLLIER : The government wants them to be
more efficient; that does not mean that they are inefficient. The honourable
member has said specifically that they are the most inefficient. I am talking
about staff-to-student ratios. I said that. If the honourable member looks at
any interview I have done, I have always said that the staff-to-student ratio
is the most inefficient in the nation, and it is. At the moment, as I said, we
have the lowest staff-to-student ratio of any state. What we want to do with
the student-centred model is ensure we move beyond that, because primary
schools on the other hand are the most efficient. There is an inequity between
secondary and primary schools, where some classes at the secondary school level
have four or five students and primary schools do not have the same ratios.
That is the whole point of the exercise.
Hon Sue Ellery i nterjected.
Hon PETER COLLIER : The Leader of the Opposition would
get exactly the same advice, and if she went out and spoke to primary schools
and spoke to secondary school children —
Hon Sue Ellery : You know I am.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Yes, I know the Leader of the
Opposition is. That is what I am saying; that they will tell her exactly that.
Hon Sue Ellery : That is not what they are saying.
Hon PETER COLLIER : We will get back to that, but I
suggest that if the Leader of the Opposition were to speak to the principals
associations they would tell her exactly that. In regard to the inefficiencies
at the high school level, the facts are there. It is not me; I am not making it
up. The facts are there. The changes the government is making will reform the
education system. It is a massive reform recommended by Professor Teese. He has
recommended these changes. He is the one who said that the current system is
flawed and it is in need of reform. The government is taking the difficult yet
necessary decision to implement those reforms.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.