❓ Hon. Jon Ford asks about support for teachers in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Gascoyne regions dealing with disruptive students and abusive parents. The Minister tables a detailed response outlining available programs and services.
AnsweredQoN 616Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
TEACHING SUPPORT —
KIMBERLEY, PILBARA AND GASCOYNE REGIONS
616. Hon JON FORD to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne regions.
(1) What support is available to teachers in each of these
regions who have —
(a) chronically
disruptive students who suffer from mental disabilities—for example,
foetal alcohol disorder;
(b) abusive and/or threatening
students; and
(c) abusive and/or threatening
parents?
KIMBERLEY, PILBARA AND GASCOYNE REGIONS
616. Hon JON FORD to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne regions.
(1) What support is available to teachers in each of these
regions who have —
(a) chronically
disruptive students who suffer from mental disabilities—for example,
foetal alcohol disorder;
(b) abusive and/or threatening
students; and
(c) abusive and/or threatening
parents?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Being
the very accommodating minister that I am, I seek leave to table the very
extensive response and have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted. [See paper 4908.]
The following material was incorporated —
I thank the Hon. Member for some notice of this
question.
Teachers in the Kimberley,
Pilbara and Gascoyne are provided with the same support as teachers in all
regions of the State.
l(a)
The Schools Plus program supports schools in providing supplementary
resources for students with an eligible diagnosis to access the curriculum.
There are eight eligibility categories, including intellectual disability and
severe mental health disorder. The Department of Education provides resources
to public schools as a flexible allocation so they can choose to implement the
most appropriate interventions and strategies that best support the needs of
their students.
Assistance
for schools is also available from the Department's Statewide
Specialist Services. This includes the Visiting Teacher Service at the School
for Special Educational Needs: Disability, which supports schools and teachers
with classroom strategies for students with disability.
The Department's School
for Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health also provides
educational support for students whose physical or mental health prevents them
from successfully participating in their own school programs.
Additional support is provided
through the School Psychology Service. This service employs over 260 School
Psychologists who provide assessment and intervention support and advice for
teachers to assist students. The Government made a commitment to progressively
appoint an additional 60 school psychologist FTE and this has been reached well
ahead of time.
1(b) Improving student
behaviour and providing ongoing support to public schools that have students
displaying challenging behaviour is a priority for the State Government.
This Government has committed
an additional $47.7 million over five years, $12.747 million in 2011–12,
for the implementation of the Better Behaviour and Stronger Pastoral Care strategy,
which is in addition to the existing level of funding ($16.445 million
annually) for the Behaviour Management and Discipline Strategy. The Better
Behaviour and Stronger Pastoral Care strategy allows for both prevention
and early intervention programs to be implemented in schools to improve student
behaviour.
Schools have access to a range
of interventions to address the challenging behaviour of students before
resorting to suspension and exclusion. These interventions are:
classroom management techniques;
the development and implementation of individual behaviour management
and risk management plans; and
access to specialist staff, including school psychologists, school
chaplains and behaviour centres.
Incidents involving weapons are
dealt with as a serious breach of school discipline and if a prohibited or controlled
weapon is involved, students are immediately suspended. An exclusion order is the most extreme sanction that can
be applied to a student in a public school, and is reserved for the most
serious and disruptive behaviour.
School psychologists provide
vital social–emotional, behavioural management, mental health and
learning support for students in public schools. The School Psychology Service
maintains a commitment to providing individual student support and school-wide
support in student behaviour and mental health.
School psychologists continue
to coordinate and facilitate preventative mental health programs, such as
Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), Positive Parenting Program
(Triple P) and Youth Mental Health First Aid.
In cases where students are
committing or threatening to commit a criminal act, principals are encouraged
to involve the local police. The Department of Education enjoys a very good
relationship with WA Police.
1(c) The principal of a school
is responsible for ensuring the good order and safety of the school and has the
authority under the School Education Act 1999 and the School
Education Regulations 2000.
The principal may:
warn the parent that such behaviour is not appropriate and will not be
tolerated at the school.
issue directions pursuant to regulation 69 or a Prohibition Order to
stop the parent from entering the school premises pursuant to Regulation 78.
If these actions are not
sufficient, school principals can engage with the police for the issuing of a
Misconduct Restraining Order or Violence Restraining Order. In situations where
parents behaviour threatens the safety and wellbeing of staff or students,
principals are encouraged to involve the local police.
the very accommodating minister that I am, I seek leave to table the very
extensive response and have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted. [See paper 4908.]
The following material was incorporated —
I thank the Hon. Member for some notice of this
question.
Teachers in the Kimberley,
Pilbara and Gascoyne are provided with the same support as teachers in all
regions of the State.
l(a)
The Schools Plus program supports schools in providing supplementary
resources for students with an eligible diagnosis to access the curriculum.
There are eight eligibility categories, including intellectual disability and
severe mental health disorder. The Department of Education provides resources
to public schools as a flexible allocation so they can choose to implement the
most appropriate interventions and strategies that best support the needs of
their students.
Assistance
for schools is also available from the Department's Statewide
Specialist Services. This includes the Visiting Teacher Service at the School
for Special Educational Needs: Disability, which supports schools and teachers
with classroom strategies for students with disability.
The Department's School
for Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health also provides
educational support for students whose physical or mental health prevents them
from successfully participating in their own school programs.
Additional support is provided
through the School Psychology Service. This service employs over 260 School
Psychologists who provide assessment and intervention support and advice for
teachers to assist students. The Government made a commitment to progressively
appoint an additional 60 school psychologist FTE and this has been reached well
ahead of time.
1(b) Improving student
behaviour and providing ongoing support to public schools that have students
displaying challenging behaviour is a priority for the State Government.
This Government has committed
an additional $47.7 million over five years, $12.747 million in 2011–12,
for the implementation of the Better Behaviour and Stronger Pastoral Care strategy,
which is in addition to the existing level of funding ($16.445 million
annually) for the Behaviour Management and Discipline Strategy. The Better
Behaviour and Stronger Pastoral Care strategy allows for both prevention
and early intervention programs to be implemented in schools to improve student
behaviour.
Schools have access to a range
of interventions to address the challenging behaviour of students before
resorting to suspension and exclusion. These interventions are:
classroom management techniques;
the development and implementation of individual behaviour management
and risk management plans; and
access to specialist staff, including school psychologists, school
chaplains and behaviour centres.
Incidents involving weapons are
dealt with as a serious breach of school discipline and if a prohibited or controlled
weapon is involved, students are immediately suspended. An exclusion order is the most extreme sanction that can
be applied to a student in a public school, and is reserved for the most
serious and disruptive behaviour.
School psychologists provide
vital social–emotional, behavioural management, mental health and
learning support for students in public schools. The School Psychology Service
maintains a commitment to providing individual student support and school-wide
support in student behaviour and mental health.
School psychologists continue
to coordinate and facilitate preventative mental health programs, such as
Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), Positive Parenting Program
(Triple P) and Youth Mental Health First Aid.
In cases where students are
committing or threatening to commit a criminal act, principals are encouraged
to involve the local police. The Department of Education enjoys a very good
relationship with WA Police.
1(c) The principal of a school
is responsible for ensuring the good order and safety of the school and has the
authority under the School Education Act 1999 and the School
Education Regulations 2000.
The principal may:
warn the parent that such behaviour is not appropriate and will not be
tolerated at the school.
issue directions pursuant to regulation 69 or a Prohibition Order to
stop the parent from entering the school premises pursuant to Regulation 78.
If these actions are not
sufficient, school principals can engage with the police for the issuing of a
Misconduct Restraining Order or Violence Restraining Order. In situations where
parents behaviour threatens the safety and wellbeing of staff or students,
principals are encouraged to involve the local police.
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