❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding savings measures within the Department of Education, specifically impacting student-centred funding, targeted programs, and internal department budgets. The response details specific funding reductions and their impacts on schools and programs.
AnsweredQoN 270Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —
SAVINGS MEASURES
270. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the information provided
by the minister on 10 April in relation to question without notice 143.
(1) What are the
identified savings against the student-centred funding model referred to in
table (2), and how will schools be impacted?
(2) What is the targeted program
that is being impacted at Belmont City College referred to in table (2)?
(3) Will the
minister provide more detail on each of the internal department budget savings
identified in table (3); and, if not, why not?
(4) Will the minister list the one-off
savings referred to in table (3); and, if not, why not?
SAVINGS MEASURES
270. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the information provided
by the minister on 10 April in relation to question without notice 143.
(1) What are the
identified savings against the student-centred funding model referred to in
table (2), and how will schools be impacted?
(2) What is the targeted program
that is being impacted at Belmont City College referred to in table (2)?
(3) Will the
minister provide more detail on each of the internal department budget savings
identified in table (3); and, if not, why not?
(4) Will the minister list the one-off
savings referred to in table (3); and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. I provide this answer on behalf of the Minister for Education and
Training. I warn members that it is very long.
(1) The
identified savings relate to specific funding to schools, which will not impact
the per-student funding rates through the student-centred funding model. They
comprise a $250 000 reduction from 2019 for targeted initiatives at Yule Brook
College and Balga Senior High School. Balga Senior High School will not be
impacted by this adjustment, as an offsetting adjustment has been made as part
of the equity changes to the student-centred funding model. The impact to Yule
Brook College will be $50 000 per year from 2019, representing approximately
1.25 per cent of its annual budget. There will also be a $167 000 reduction to
an allocation for the Curtin Theatre at John Curtin College of the Arts. The
adjustment reflects a 20 per cent reduction to the operational response and
less than 0.4 per cent of the school's total annual budget.
When the student-centred funding
model was introduced, most individual school programs were rolled into the
SCFM. However, a determination at the time was made for allocation to continue
until the model was well established. Local access funding is additional to
that provided through the student-centred funding model for each student. Its
purpose is to enable remote community schools, district high schools and
primary schools that enrol secondary students to provide face-to-face teaching
to small groups of students in years 11 and 12 who do not have daily bus access
to a senior high school and do not complete their studies through the School of
Isolated and Distance Education. A review of local access funding identified
that many schools were receiving the additional funding for students who did
have daily bus access to a senior high school or were completing their
education program through the School of Isolated and Distance Education.
Commencing in 2019, local access funding will be provided only to those year 11
and year 12 students receiving face-to-face teaching in the designated schools
where daily bus access to a senior high school is not available. This will
address the duplication of funding that has been occurring. It should be noted
that there is no cost to these schools where they enrol students who complete
their entire year 11 and year 12 education program through the School of
Isolated and Distance Education.
(2) Units to
provide specialist support for deaf education were historically established in
a number of metropolitan senior high schools, including Belmont City College.
In 2001, Shenton College Deaf Education Centre opened as a school in its own
right. Over time, demand for places increased and a cap was placed on
enrolment. In 2013, the unit at Belmont City College received additional
targeted funding to expand its unit into the Belmont City College deaf
education program. However, demand on places at Shenton College Deaf Education
Centre remained high and a process was established to determine enrolment. This
resulted in increasing dissatisfaction from parents unable to enrol their
children in the program they considered to be the most appropriate for their
children. The current upgrade of additional facilities on the Shenton site has
meant the cap on enrolment will be lifted from 2019 to establish one
comprehensive and sustainable deaf education program for all eligible students
with hearing loss. Funding for the Belmont City College deaf education program
will conclude at the end of 2019. Students and families in the deaf education
program at Belmont City College will be supported to transition to Shenton
College Deaf Education Centre; enrol at their local school, with visiting
teacher support from the School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory; or
remain at Belmont City College, with visiting teacher support.
(3) The savings
have been outlined, by category, in the answer provided to question without
notice 198.
(4) There are one-off
savings of $1.504 million. These savings relate to the department's
central office and reflect one-off salary savings achieved through the
transition of some parts of the department to a new structure and general
efficiencies in non-salary costs. These savings will not impact schools.
question. I provide this answer on behalf of the Minister for Education and
Training. I warn members that it is very long.
(1) The
identified savings relate to specific funding to schools, which will not impact
the per-student funding rates through the student-centred funding model. They
comprise a $250 000 reduction from 2019 for targeted initiatives at Yule Brook
College and Balga Senior High School. Balga Senior High School will not be
impacted by this adjustment, as an offsetting adjustment has been made as part
of the equity changes to the student-centred funding model. The impact to Yule
Brook College will be $50 000 per year from 2019, representing approximately
1.25 per cent of its annual budget. There will also be a $167 000 reduction to
an allocation for the Curtin Theatre at John Curtin College of the Arts. The
adjustment reflects a 20 per cent reduction to the operational response and
less than 0.4 per cent of the school's total annual budget.
When the student-centred funding
model was introduced, most individual school programs were rolled into the
SCFM. However, a determination at the time was made for allocation to continue
until the model was well established. Local access funding is additional to
that provided through the student-centred funding model for each student. Its
purpose is to enable remote community schools, district high schools and
primary schools that enrol secondary students to provide face-to-face teaching
to small groups of students in years 11 and 12 who do not have daily bus access
to a senior high school and do not complete their studies through the School of
Isolated and Distance Education. A review of local access funding identified
that many schools were receiving the additional funding for students who did
have daily bus access to a senior high school or were completing their
education program through the School of Isolated and Distance Education.
Commencing in 2019, local access funding will be provided only to those year 11
and year 12 students receiving face-to-face teaching in the designated schools
where daily bus access to a senior high school is not available. This will
address the duplication of funding that has been occurring. It should be noted
that there is no cost to these schools where they enrol students who complete
their entire year 11 and year 12 education program through the School of
Isolated and Distance Education.
(2) Units to
provide specialist support for deaf education were historically established in
a number of metropolitan senior high schools, including Belmont City College.
In 2001, Shenton College Deaf Education Centre opened as a school in its own
right. Over time, demand for places increased and a cap was placed on
enrolment. In 2013, the unit at Belmont City College received additional
targeted funding to expand its unit into the Belmont City College deaf
education program. However, demand on places at Shenton College Deaf Education
Centre remained high and a process was established to determine enrolment. This
resulted in increasing dissatisfaction from parents unable to enrol their
children in the program they considered to be the most appropriate for their
children. The current upgrade of additional facilities on the Shenton site has
meant the cap on enrolment will be lifted from 2019 to establish one
comprehensive and sustainable deaf education program for all eligible students
with hearing loss. Funding for the Belmont City College deaf education program
will conclude at the end of 2019. Students and families in the deaf education
program at Belmont City College will be supported to transition to Shenton
College Deaf Education Centre; enrol at their local school, with visiting
teacher support from the School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory; or
remain at Belmont City College, with visiting teacher support.
(3) The savings
have been outlined, by category, in the answer provided to question without
notice 198.
(4) There are one-off
savings of $1.504 million. These savings relate to the department's
central office and reflect one-off salary savings achieved through the
transition of some parts of the department to a new structure and general
efficiencies in non-salary costs. These savings will not impact schools.
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