❓ Shadow Minister for Education, Ljiljanna Ravlich, questions the Minister for Education regarding teacher-student ratios and alleged resource stripping in WA schools, accusing the Minister of misleading Parliament. The Minister refutes the claims, citing funding increases and a necessary streamlining of resources.
AnsweredQoN 592Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS —
TEACHER–STUDENT RATIOS
592. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the
Minister for Education:
My question is without notice and it is in three parts. The
minister might want to write them down.
I refer to the minister's recent comments on the
teacher-to-student ratio in WA schools.
(1) Given that
the ratio for WA primary schools is 15.9 and in the minister's own
words is ''efficient'' as opposed to inefficient, why is he
stripping resources from those schools?
(2) Why has
the minister on a number of occasions told this house that at 11.7, the student–teacher
ratio in WA secondary schools is the most inefficient in the nation, when he
knows this not to be true?
(3) Is this not a case of the
minister again misleading the Parliament?
TEACHER–STUDENT RATIOS
592. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the
Minister for Education:
My question is without notice and it is in three parts. The
minister might want to write them down.
I refer to the minister's recent comments on the
teacher-to-student ratio in WA schools.
(1) Given that
the ratio for WA primary schools is 15.9 and in the minister's own
words is ''efficient'' as opposed to inefficient, why is he
stripping resources from those schools?
(2) Why has
the minister on a number of occasions told this house that at 11.7, the student–teacher
ratio in WA secondary schools is the most inefficient in the nation, when he
knows this not to be true?
(3) Is this not a case of the
minister again misleading the Parliament?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
the question.
(1)–(3) I
completely refute the notion that I have misled the Parliament ever. I refer to
the first question with regard to the primary schools. As I have said
consistently over the past two weeks, we have increased funding. What has
happened is that we have maintained a cap on teacher numbers for 2014—so
those numbers will be maintained at the same level as for 2013—so
teachers are spread more thinly across schools and, yes, every single school
has to tighten its belt. With the tight financial situation that we are facing,
that is the truth of the matter. I have made that quite clear. I might add that
what we are looking at is not as dire as some might think. Yes, some schools
will have fewer staff; others will have more. That is a direct result of the
fact that we are spreading the teaching load more thinly, but the impact of
that will be 0.4 of a student per teacher. Teachers will be asked to have less
than half a student extra per teacher next year. That is a direct result of
what we have actually introduced.
In terms of funding, schools get
supplementary funding on top of their base funding; that is, school support
program resource allocations and other grants et cetera. That reduction in
SSPRA is about 1.5 per cent. So, yes, there has been a reduction across the
board in schools and what is expected from them. Some schools will reduce their
programs, as I have said. The whole reason for doing that is that as we move to
a much more sustainable funding model in 2014, we can move to a very effective
student-centred model in 2015. What was the member's other question? I
think I have answered all three parts of the question.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : The 11.7 —
Hon PETER COLLIER : That is right; the member is right. As I
said, our primary schools are the most efficient in terms of ratios. I have
always said that. I have always qualified that comment.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Well, it's not, because the
Northern Territory is 10.3.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I have said in states. The member can go
back and check Hansard . I said in
states. In terms of every other state—right?—as I said, we are
the least efficient, and I have made that quite clear. Can I say that I have
not misled Parliament. What we are doing is streamlining the teaching process—the
ratio process—so we will have a much more efficient and better
education system in 2015. It is what everyone has been calling out for for
decades. We are bold enough and visionary enough to do it.
the question.
(1)–(3) I
completely refute the notion that I have misled the Parliament ever. I refer to
the first question with regard to the primary schools. As I have said
consistently over the past two weeks, we have increased funding. What has
happened is that we have maintained a cap on teacher numbers for 2014—so
those numbers will be maintained at the same level as for 2013—so
teachers are spread more thinly across schools and, yes, every single school
has to tighten its belt. With the tight financial situation that we are facing,
that is the truth of the matter. I have made that quite clear. I might add that
what we are looking at is not as dire as some might think. Yes, some schools
will have fewer staff; others will have more. That is a direct result of the
fact that we are spreading the teaching load more thinly, but the impact of
that will be 0.4 of a student per teacher. Teachers will be asked to have less
than half a student extra per teacher next year. That is a direct result of
what we have actually introduced.
In terms of funding, schools get
supplementary funding on top of their base funding; that is, school support
program resource allocations and other grants et cetera. That reduction in
SSPRA is about 1.5 per cent. So, yes, there has been a reduction across the
board in schools and what is expected from them. Some schools will reduce their
programs, as I have said. The whole reason for doing that is that as we move to
a much more sustainable funding model in 2014, we can move to a very effective
student-centred model in 2015. What was the member's other question? I
think I have answered all three parts of the question.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : The 11.7 —
Hon PETER COLLIER : That is right; the member is right. As I
said, our primary schools are the most efficient in terms of ratios. I have
always said that. I have always qualified that comment.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Well, it's not, because the
Northern Territory is 10.3.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I have said in states. The member can go
back and check Hansard . I said in
states. In terms of every other state—right?—as I said, we are
the least efficient, and I have made that quite clear. Can I say that I have
not misled Parliament. What we are doing is streamlining the teaching process—the
ratio process—so we will have a much more efficient and better
education system in 2015. It is what everyone has been calling out for for
decades. We are bold enough and visionary enough to do it.
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