❓ Mr. Wyatt inquires about the employment of school gardeners in WA government schools, including numbers, costs, funding, and the criteria used to determine staffing levels. The Minister for Education provides detailed answers regarding gardener employment, funding models, and the formula used for staffing allocation.
AnsweredQoN 6578Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many school gardeners were employed by the Department of Education in Western Australian government schools in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and year to date 2011?
(2) How many privately contracted school gardeners were employed in Western Australian government Schools in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and year to date 2011?
(3) What are the names of the schools where privately contracted school gardeners are employed?
(4) What is the average cost to employ one FTE school gardener?
(5) What criteria or formula is used to determine the FTE complement of school gardeners for a school?
(6) When was the current formula or criteria established and what was the formula or criteria prior to that date?
(7) If the current formula or criteria for determining FTE complement of gardeners is not based on student numbers, what is the average number of students per one FTE of gardeners?
(8) Are gardening supplies and equipment funded through the school grant or is a specific allocation made to each school?
(9) Are gardening supplies and equipment funded through the school grant if the school uses privately contracted gardeners and if not, who funds the supplies and equipment for privately contracted gardeners?
(10) If a specific allocation is made to each school for gardening supplies and equipment, do Independent Public Schools fund gardening supplies and equipment through their one-line budget, or do they also receive a specific allocation for gardening supplies and equipment?
(11) Is all lawn mowing of school grounds contracted to private lawn-mowing contractors and if not, what schools use their school gardener to mow the school lawns?
(12) For schools using contracted lawn mowing, is the contractor paid using school funds, region funds or central Department funds?
(13) For schools using their school gardener to mow school lawns, does the gardener receive extra time to undertake this task, or is it done within the FTE allocation to the school, as calculated by the formula or criteria detailed in (5)?
(14) For schools using their school gardener to mow school lawns using extra time, who funds the extra FTE for this task?
(2) How many privately contracted school gardeners were employed in Western Australian government Schools in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and year to date 2011?
(3) What are the names of the schools where privately contracted school gardeners are employed?
(4) What is the average cost to employ one FTE school gardener?
(5) What criteria or formula is used to determine the FTE complement of school gardeners for a school?
(6) When was the current formula or criteria established and what was the formula or criteria prior to that date?
(7) If the current formula or criteria for determining FTE complement of gardeners is not based on student numbers, what is the average number of students per one FTE of gardeners?
(8) Are gardening supplies and equipment funded through the school grant or is a specific allocation made to each school?
(9) Are gardening supplies and equipment funded through the school grant if the school uses privately contracted gardeners and if not, who funds the supplies and equipment for privately contracted gardeners?
(10) If a specific allocation is made to each school for gardening supplies and equipment, do Independent Public Schools fund gardening supplies and equipment through their one-line budget, or do they also receive a specific allocation for gardening supplies and equipment?
(11) Is all lawn mowing of school grounds contracted to private lawn-mowing contractors and if not, what schools use their school gardener to mow the school lawns?
(12) For schools using contracted lawn mowing, is the contractor paid using school funds, region funds or central Department funds?
(13) For schools using their school gardener to mow school lawns, does the gardener receive extra time to undertake this task, or is it done within the FTE allocation to the school, as calculated by the formula or criteria detailed in (5)?
(14) For schools using their school gardener to mow school lawns using extra time, who funds the extra FTE for this task?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 December 2011
Responded by
Minister for Education
Response time
30 days
(1) The total number of gardeners employed permanently or temporarily in full-time, part-time or a casual capacity in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were 1 091, 1 167, 1 098 and 1 155 respectively. The year-to-date figure for 2011 is 1 103.
(2) It is Departmental policy to employ day labour school gardeners in schools except where a school can demonstrate that all practical attempts to secure a day labour school gardener have failed.
It has only been since late 2010 that the Department of Education has needed to use gardening contractors to maintain the grounds at several schools in the Pilbara.
The Department does not require the contractor to disclose the number of gardeners employed.
(3) PegsCreekPrimary School, TambreyPrimary School, MillarsWellPrimary School.
(4) The average cost for employing a school gardener is $50 900 per FTE, inclusive of on-costs.
(5) The current Gardening Staffing Formula was developed in 1991 to determine the allocation of gardening time at schools using a common, consistent and relevant set of criteria. The basis of the formula is the allocation of time to undertake the major tasks required of a school gardener, plus a component to accommodate minor and infrequent tasks.
(6) Prior to the introduction of this formula in 1991, staffing levels were determined on an ad hoc basis by a Gardening Advisor.
(7) There is no direct relationship between the numbers of students and gardeners. However, the ratio of students to gardeners is around 386:1.
(8)-(10) All public schools are provided with funds for gardening supplies and equipment replacement and repair, either through the school grant or the one-line budget in the case of Independent Public Schools.
(11) No, at most regional and country schools lawn-mowing is conducted by the school gardener. There are approximately 300 schools in this category.
(12) All contract lawn-mowing is funded through the Department's Central Office.
(13) Yes. The gardener staffing formula provides time for lawn-mowing where this is the responsibility of the gardener.
(14) School gardener FTE is funded by Central Office. However, any gardener time above that determined by the formula for an individual school is paid for by that school.
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(2) It is Departmental policy to employ day labour school gardeners in schools except where a school can demonstrate that all practical attempts to secure a day labour school gardener have failed.
It has only been since late 2010 that the Department of Education has needed to use gardening contractors to maintain the grounds at several schools in the Pilbara.
The Department does not require the contractor to disclose the number of gardeners employed.
(3) PegsCreekPrimary School, TambreyPrimary School, MillarsWellPrimary School.
(4) The average cost for employing a school gardener is $50 900 per FTE, inclusive of on-costs.
(5) The current Gardening Staffing Formula was developed in 1991 to determine the allocation of gardening time at schools using a common, consistent and relevant set of criteria. The basis of the formula is the allocation of time to undertake the major tasks required of a school gardener, plus a component to accommodate minor and infrequent tasks.
(6) Prior to the introduction of this formula in 1991, staffing levels were determined on an ad hoc basis by a Gardening Advisor.
(7) There is no direct relationship between the numbers of students and gardeners. However, the ratio of students to gardeners is around 386:1.
(8)-(10) All public schools are provided with funds for gardening supplies and equipment replacement and repair, either through the school grant or the one-line budget in the case of Independent Public Schools.
(11) No, at most regional and country schools lawn-mowing is conducted by the school gardener. There are approximately 300 schools in this category.
(12) All contract lawn-mowing is funded through the Department's Central Office.
(13) Yes. The gardener staffing formula provides time for lawn-mowing where this is the responsibility of the gardener.
(14) School gardener FTE is funded by Central Office. However, any gardener time above that determined by the formula for an individual school is paid for by that school.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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