❓ A Member of Parliament questions the Minister for Education regarding the placement of pre-primary facilities at Como and Dalkeith Primary Schools, alleging inequitable treatment and potential policy breaches.
AnsweredQoN 629Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
629. Hon. P.G. PENDAL to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the on-going dissatisfaction over the placement of a pre-primary facility at Como Primary School and ask -
(a) is it correct that the School Education Act 1999 requires pre-primary facilities to be located on-site on primary school grounds in Western Australia;
(b) is it correct that the School Education Act 1999 allows the Minister to grant exemptions from this general provision;
(c) if so, has the Minister granted an exemption in the case of a pre-primary facility in the Premiers electorate by which the new facility is located a kilometre away from the linked primary school, and on local authority land;
(d) if "yes" to (c), will the Minister advise why he allowed such an exemption in the Dalkeith case when he refused to allow an exemption in the case of the Como pre-primary facility;
(e) does he acknowledge that the Como pre-primary facility could have been located on land only 50 metres from the Como Primary School, not the one kilometre or so in the case of Dalkeith;
(f) is it correct that departmental funds are being used to finance the Dalkeith facility on local shire grounds, contrary to stated Education Department policy;
(g) if "yes" to (e) and (f), will the Minister, as a matter of justice and equity under the School Education Act 1999, favourably reconsider his original decision and treat Como in a similar fashion to Dalkeith school; and
(h) if not, why not?
I refer to the on-going dissatisfaction over the placement of a pre-primary facility at Como Primary School and ask -
(a) is it correct that the School Education Act 1999 requires pre-primary facilities to be located on-site on primary school grounds in Western Australia;
(b) is it correct that the School Education Act 1999 allows the Minister to grant exemptions from this general provision;
(c) if so, has the Minister granted an exemption in the case of a pre-primary facility in the Premiers electorate by which the new facility is located a kilometre away from the linked primary school, and on local authority land;
(d) if "yes" to (c), will the Minister advise why he allowed such an exemption in the Dalkeith case when he refused to allow an exemption in the case of the Como pre-primary facility;
(e) does he acknowledge that the Como pre-primary facility could have been located on land only 50 metres from the Como Primary School, not the one kilometre or so in the case of Dalkeith;
(f) is it correct that departmental funds are being used to finance the Dalkeith facility on local shire grounds, contrary to stated Education Department policy;
(g) if "yes" to (e) and (f), will the Minister, as a matter of justice and equity under the School Education Act 1999, favourably reconsider his original decision and treat Como in a similar fashion to Dalkeith school; and
(h) if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 November 2000
Response time
79 days
The Minister Replied:
(a) The school Education Act 1999 does not require pre-primary facilities to be located on-site on primary school grounds in Western Australia.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Exemptions are not required to locate pre-primary facilities off-site from a school.
(d) Not applicable.
(e) As there was ample room for an on-site purpose built facility at the Como Primary School, it was not necessary to locate the pre-primary program in an off-site facility.
(f) The Education Department will lease an early childhood education facility in Dalkeith from the City of Nedlands. Education Department funds will be used to extend this facility. In special circumstances the Education Department undertakes capital works on facilities that it does not own, but it is not the preferred practice. There is insufficient space to place an early childhood education facility on the Dalkeith Primary School site and the lease on the off-site facility will be held by the Education Department.
(g) No. There is already an on-site early childhood education facility available at Como Primary School. It is not possible to locate an early childhood education facility on-site at Dalkeith Primary School.
(h) The off-site facility in Como is a community based kindergarten, and as such is leased from the local council by the parent management committee. The Dalkeith facility will be leased by the Education Department from January 2001.
(a) The school Education Act 1999 does not require pre-primary facilities to be located on-site on primary school grounds in Western Australia.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Exemptions are not required to locate pre-primary facilities off-site from a school.
(d) Not applicable.
(e) As there was ample room for an on-site purpose built facility at the Como Primary School, it was not necessary to locate the pre-primary program in an off-site facility.
(f) The Education Department will lease an early childhood education facility in Dalkeith from the City of Nedlands. Education Department funds will be used to extend this facility. In special circumstances the Education Department undertakes capital works on facilities that it does not own, but it is not the preferred practice. There is insufficient space to place an early childhood education facility on the Dalkeith Primary School site and the lease on the off-site facility will be held by the Education Department.
(g) No. There is already an on-site early childhood education facility available at Como Primary School. It is not possible to locate an early childhood education facility on-site at Dalkeith Primary School.
(h) The off-site facility in Como is a community based kindergarten, and as such is leased from the local council by the parent management committee. The Dalkeith facility will be leased by the Education Department from January 2001.
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