❓ Question regarding the Auditor General's report on IT in schools, criticising the previous government's approach and its impact on learning outcomes and costs. The Minister's answer is highly critical of the previous government's IT policy in schools.
AnsweredQoN 54Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
I refer to the Auditor General’s report tabled today on the use of computers in government schools. Does the report confirm that the previous Government’s ad hoc approach to information technology in schools has not resulted in the expected learning outcomes for children? Mr CARPENTER
I refer to the Auditor General’s report tabled today on the use of computers in government schools. Does the report confirm that the previous Government’s ad hoc approach to information technology in schools has not resulted in the expected learning outcomes for children? Mr CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
The Auditor General’s report tabled today confirms everything this Government said when it was in Opposition last year about the way the then Minister for Education was implementing information technology in schools; that is, almost everything the former Government was doing under his direction was being done wrongly. The well-intentioned move to implement information technology policy in schools has created more problems than benefits to schools and has cost the Education Department millions of dollars. An internal investigation by the Education Department estimated that it cost $65 million a year to maintain the information technology system placed in schools. It is very easy to criticise the former Minister for Education about this policy because he deserves to be criticised for it. Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER replied: The Auditor General’s report tabled today confirms everything this Government said when it was in Opposition last year about the way the then Minister for Education was implementing information technology in schools; that is, almost everything the former Government was doing under his direction was being done wrongly. The well-intentioned move to implement information technology policy in schools has created more problems than benefits to schools and has cost the Education Department millions of dollars. An internal investigation by the Education Department estimated that it cost $65 million a year to maintain the information technology system placed in schools. It is very easy to criticise the former Minister for Education about this policy because he deserves to be criticised for it. Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
The Auditor General’s report tabled today confirms everything this Government said when it was in Opposition last year about the way the then Minister for Education was implementing information technology in schools; that is, almost everything the former Government was doing under his direction was being done wrongly. The well-intentioned move to implement information technology policy in schools has created more problems than benefits to schools and has cost the Education Department millions of dollars. An internal investigation by the Education Department estimated that it cost $65 million a year to maintain the information technology system placed in schools. It is very easy to criticise the former Minister for Education about this policy because he deserves to be criticised for it. Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER replied: The Auditor General’s report tabled today confirms everything this Government said when it was in Opposition last year about the way the then Minister for Education was implementing information technology in schools; that is, almost everything the former Government was doing under his direction was being done wrongly. The well-intentioned move to implement information technology policy in schools has created more problems than benefits to schools and has cost the Education Department millions of dollars. An internal investigation by the Education Department estimated that it cost $65 million a year to maintain the information technology system placed in schools. It is very easy to criticise the former Minister for Education about this policy because he deserves to be criticised for it. Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
The Auditor General’s report tabled today confirms everything this Government said when it was in Opposition last year about the way the then Minister for Education was implementing information technology in schools; that is, almost everything the former Government was doing under his direction was being done wrongly. The well-intentioned move to implement information technology policy in schools has created more problems than benefits to schools and has cost the Education Department millions of dollars. An internal investigation by the Education Department estimated that it cost $65 million a year to maintain the information technology system placed in schools. It is very easy to criticise the former Minister for Education about this policy because he deserves to be criticised for it. Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr Barnett: Let us debate education. Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER: He was told about this aspect of the policy last year and declined the opportunity to concede that the policy was poor and needed redressing. As the Leader of the Opposition is doing in the Chamber today by way of interjection, he maintained that it was a good policy and it was delivering benefit. We are now confronted with the fact that $80 million or thereabouts of taxpayers’ money has been expended in pursuit of a policy that has created virtually no benefit to the community and its schools. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Mr CARPENTER: It is always dangerous to rise to one’s feet and accept the invitation to criticise the member for Cottesloe. We have all seen what he does when he is under pressure. Everybody will remember the way in which he acted under pressure during the election campaign. He cannot abide the slightest criticism. I was opposed to him in his role as education minister, but I am one of a small minority of people in Western Australia who believes that he is doing a good job in his current role as Leader of the Opposition. According to The West Australian I am one of 7 per cent of Western Australians who thinks that the member for Cottesloe is doing a good job. The Liberal party has 15 members in this place, so 7 per cent of that is about one member. Who is the one member on that side who thinks his or her leader is doing a good job? I think I know who it is, but I do not think it is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. About two or three members opposite are prepared to put up their hand to support the Leader of the Opposition. I support the Leader of the Opposition. Let us look at what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said about his leader. He said that he thought Julie will make a good opposition leader! Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education got off the track a little. I presume the minister has finished that answer, so question time is now over.
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