❓ Mr. Love questions the disproportionate number of regional public schools failing to meet performance benchmarks. The Minister responds by outlining the government's commitment to improving education in regional WA through increased investment and a new school review system.
AnsweredQoN 1095Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SCHOOLS — PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
1095. Mr R.S. LOVE to the minister representing the Minister
for Education and Training:
My question is to the minister
representing the Minister for Education and Training, of which some notice has
been given. I refer to the recent article ''Schools Flunk Tests''
in The Sunday Times that lists 43 Western Australian public schools that
do not meet Department of Education performance benchmarks. Given that 30 of
the 43 schools identified, or 70 per cent, were schools in regional WA, what
measures will the minister put in place to ensure that students from regional
areas do not continue to be disproportionately disadvantaged compared with
those from metropolitan areas?
1095. Mr R.S. LOVE to the minister representing the Minister
for Education and Training:
My question is to the minister
representing the Minister for Education and Training, of which some notice has
been given. I refer to the recent article ''Schools Flunk Tests''
in The Sunday Times that lists 43 Western Australian public schools that
do not meet Department of Education performance benchmarks. Given that 30 of
the 43 schools identified, or 70 per cent, were schools in regional WA, what
measures will the minister put in place to ensure that students from regional
areas do not continue to be disproportionately disadvantaged compared with
those from metropolitan areas?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
of which some notice was given. I have an answer from the Minister for
Education and Training. The government is committed to ensuring that all Western
Australian children have access to the best possible learning opportunities.
The new system of public school review, which commenced in term 3 last year,
provides a stronger quality assurance than was previously in place. Under the
previous government, independent public schools were reviewed every three
years. Only public schools of considerable concern were reviewed by the department's internal expert review group. That
meant a large number of schools—those that were not independent
public schools and those that were not of considerable concern—were not
subject to a formal and independent review process. As a result, some schools
were not reviewed for up to 10 years under the previous government. I think
parents would absolutely expect their schools always to be striving towards
improvement by making adjustments and improvements to strengthen what they do.
I think that is expected of everyone, regardless of the work they are in, and
that is exactly what is happening here. The Minister for Education and Training
expects all our schools to strive towards constant improvement, and I am sure
that parents would share that expectation. We want families to feel confident
that their children are in the best possible learning environments, and most
are. Although 43 schools were reported as needing improvement, 143 were
reported as being effective. Under the new review
process, ''needs improvement'' means exactly that. However, it
does not mean that the school is unsatisfactory or ineffective.
This government is committed to
supporting regional schools. Since this government was elected, the following
additional investment has been made to support schools in regional Western Australia:
the provision of 159 FTE additional
education assistants to support kindergarten to year 2 in 141 country schools;
50 additional FTE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education
officers to support Aboriginal students across 74 country schools and four residential
colleges; 10 new independent learning coordinator teachers for year 11 and 12
students enrolled in 10 country senior high schools and studying courses
through the School of Isolated and Distance Education; eight new regional
learning specialist teachers to visit country schools to provide specialist
classes for year 11 and 12 students; and 17.5 FTE additional teachers to
support students and mentor teachers in 100 country schools. From 2020, an
additional $1.8 million for the locality allowance under the student-centred
funding model will be provided to assist schools located more than 200 kilometres
from Perth, and in 2019 an additional $4.324 million has been allocated to
small secondary schools—61 per cent of the total allocation to small
secondary schools in the regions.
Tabling of Paper
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : The minister appeared to be reading from a document, which
is against standing orders anyway. In any case, it appears to be an official
document, which I ask him to table.
The SPEAKER : Member, he is
reading out an answer from a minister in the upper house. He is allowed to do
that. They are just notes, are they?
Mr P.
PAPALIA : Yes. I just read them all.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Can the
minister table them?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I am on my feet! I call you to order for the second time.
Minister, can you confirm that is an
official document, which includes briefings made by department —
Mr P. PAPALIA : It is not an
official document.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me! I am
asking you a question. Can you just sit down so I can ask you the question.
Official documents do not include a cabinet document, personal notes made by a minister
or speaking notes prepared by ministerial staff to assist a minister. No, you
do not have to.
Mr P. PAPALIA : They are
speaking notes prepared by the Minister for Education and Training.
The SPEAKER : I just said that
you are okay. It is okay.
of which some notice was given. I have an answer from the Minister for
Education and Training. The government is committed to ensuring that all Western
Australian children have access to the best possible learning opportunities.
The new system of public school review, which commenced in term 3 last year,
provides a stronger quality assurance than was previously in place. Under the
previous government, independent public schools were reviewed every three
years. Only public schools of considerable concern were reviewed by the department's internal expert review group. That
meant a large number of schools—those that were not independent
public schools and those that were not of considerable concern—were not
subject to a formal and independent review process. As a result, some schools
were not reviewed for up to 10 years under the previous government. I think
parents would absolutely expect their schools always to be striving towards
improvement by making adjustments and improvements to strengthen what they do.
I think that is expected of everyone, regardless of the work they are in, and
that is exactly what is happening here. The Minister for Education and Training
expects all our schools to strive towards constant improvement, and I am sure
that parents would share that expectation. We want families to feel confident
that their children are in the best possible learning environments, and most
are. Although 43 schools were reported as needing improvement, 143 were
reported as being effective. Under the new review
process, ''needs improvement'' means exactly that. However, it
does not mean that the school is unsatisfactory or ineffective.
This government is committed to
supporting regional schools. Since this government was elected, the following
additional investment has been made to support schools in regional Western Australia:
the provision of 159 FTE additional
education assistants to support kindergarten to year 2 in 141 country schools;
50 additional FTE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education
officers to support Aboriginal students across 74 country schools and four residential
colleges; 10 new independent learning coordinator teachers for year 11 and 12
students enrolled in 10 country senior high schools and studying courses
through the School of Isolated and Distance Education; eight new regional
learning specialist teachers to visit country schools to provide specialist
classes for year 11 and 12 students; and 17.5 FTE additional teachers to
support students and mentor teachers in 100 country schools. From 2020, an
additional $1.8 million for the locality allowance under the student-centred
funding model will be provided to assist schools located more than 200 kilometres
from Perth, and in 2019 an additional $4.324 million has been allocated to
small secondary schools—61 per cent of the total allocation to small
secondary schools in the regions.
Tabling of Paper
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : The minister appeared to be reading from a document, which
is against standing orders anyway. In any case, it appears to be an official
document, which I ask him to table.
The SPEAKER : Member, he is
reading out an answer from a minister in the upper house. He is allowed to do
that. They are just notes, are they?
Mr P.
PAPALIA : Yes. I just read them all.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Can the
minister table them?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I am on my feet! I call you to order for the second time.
Minister, can you confirm that is an
official document, which includes briefings made by department —
Mr P. PAPALIA : It is not an
official document.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me! I am
asking you a question. Can you just sit down so I can ask you the question.
Official documents do not include a cabinet document, personal notes made by a minister
or speaking notes prepared by ministerial staff to assist a minister. No, you
do not have to.
Mr P. PAPALIA : They are
speaking notes prepared by the Minister for Education and Training.
The SPEAKER : I just said that
you are okay. It is okay.
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