❓ Ms. Kelsbie asks about the government's support for teachers, especially in regional areas, and plans to ensure classrooms are staffed in 2025. The Minister details financial incentives and other measures to attract and retain teachers in regional and remote schools.
AnsweredQoN 890Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS —
TEACHING POSITIONS
890. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to providing the best quality education for all students across Western
Australia.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government is supporting teachers across the state, particularly in
regional and remote areas?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house what work is underway to ensure that there will be a teacher
in front of all WA classrooms at the commencement of the 2025 school year?
TEACHING POSITIONS
890. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to providing the best quality education for all students across Western
Australia.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government is supporting teachers across the state, particularly in
regional and remote areas?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house what work is underway to ensure that there will be a teacher
in front of all WA classrooms at the commencement of the 2025 school year?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for her question. She is an
outstanding advocate for her local community and in education. I visited a number
of schools in her electorate over this term and she is very well regarded. I look
forward to her continuing her advocacy. The Cook Labor government is very
committed to ensuring that we can provide quality education for all students
across Western Australia. It is a difficult
challenge because we are the second-largest geographical education jurisdiction
in the world—in the world! As I said previously, there are 830-odd
public schools. We have opened 31 private schools since 2017, and I think nine
to 11 high schools in that period of time. There has been major redevelopment
of existing infrastructure at our schools. We recently announced an
ongoing commitment to the regional attraction and retention incentive.
We have announced $8.4 million to continue the regional attraction and retention incentive in 2025 to support staffing in
regional and remote schools. It is a very important commitment. This incentive package was
successfully rolled out in 2023 to 48 schools as a temporary measure.
We
are now supporting 67 schools with secondary students. We would think that the
Liberal and National Parties would support that. They talk about
providing quality education in the regions. We have done something that is
germane to ensuring that we can attract quality teachers and retain them in the regions, but we never get anything. We never
get any word of support or congratulations from the opposition . It does
not matter; we know what we are doing. We are doing what is right for Western Australians
and there was a major commitment by the Cook Labor government quite recently to
continue that. The total investment in that initiative is $36.3 million. That
funding is in addition to the incentives under the new enterprise bargaining
agreement that includes district allowances to attract and retain more teachers
in remote and regional areas, additional travel concessions for staff in the
Pilbara, Kimberley and goldfields, an air conditioning subsidy for eligible
employees, and salary increases for teachers and school leaders in all Western Australian
public schools.
Further, we are providing $8.4 million
in 2025 to offer financial incentives to school staff to continue, which will
boost the number of teachers and school administrators working in regional
areas and brings greater continuity for regional and remote students, their
families and the whole community. Eligible staff members will receive up to $8 500
for teachers and school administrators working in designated rural and remote public schools. It will be paid in two
instalments: the first will be paid at the start of the 2025 school year
and the remaining balance will be paid to staff remaining at the school at the
end of the 2025 school year. We know these incentives work. Over 2 000 staff
took up the incentive this year. Providing these financial incentives for
another year is an important investment to help alleviate some of the
additional pressures that schools in regional and remote areas face when
recruiting staff.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I apologise
for interrupting you, but we have private members' business brought on
early today.
Mr R.S. LOVE : Madam Speaker.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of the
House will move a motion and then the member Leader of the Opposition will be
given the call.
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for her question. She is an
outstanding advocate for her local community and in education. I visited a number
of schools in her electorate over this term and she is very well regarded. I look
forward to her continuing her advocacy. The Cook Labor government is very
committed to ensuring that we can provide quality education for all students
across Western Australia. It is a difficult
challenge because we are the second-largest geographical education jurisdiction
in the world—in the world! As I said previously, there are 830-odd
public schools. We have opened 31 private schools since 2017, and I think nine
to 11 high schools in that period of time. There has been major redevelopment
of existing infrastructure at our schools. We recently announced an
ongoing commitment to the regional attraction and retention incentive.
We have announced $8.4 million to continue the regional attraction and retention incentive in 2025 to support staffing in
regional and remote schools. It is a very important commitment. This incentive package was
successfully rolled out in 2023 to 48 schools as a temporary measure.
We
are now supporting 67 schools with secondary students. We would think that the
Liberal and National Parties would support that. They talk about
providing quality education in the regions. We have done something that is
germane to ensuring that we can attract quality teachers and retain them in the regions, but we never get anything. We never
get any word of support or congratulations from the opposition . It does
not matter; we know what we are doing. We are doing what is right for Western Australians
and there was a major commitment by the Cook Labor government quite recently to
continue that. The total investment in that initiative is $36.3 million. That
funding is in addition to the incentives under the new enterprise bargaining
agreement that includes district allowances to attract and retain more teachers
in remote and regional areas, additional travel concessions for staff in the
Pilbara, Kimberley and goldfields, an air conditioning subsidy for eligible
employees, and salary increases for teachers and school leaders in all Western Australian
public schools.
Further, we are providing $8.4 million
in 2025 to offer financial incentives to school staff to continue, which will
boost the number of teachers and school administrators working in regional
areas and brings greater continuity for regional and remote students, their
families and the whole community. Eligible staff members will receive up to $8 500
for teachers and school administrators working in designated rural and remote public schools. It will be paid in two
instalments: the first will be paid at the start of the 2025 school year
and the remaining balance will be paid to staff remaining at the school at the
end of the 2025 school year. We know these incentives work. Over 2 000 staff
took up the incentive this year. Providing these financial incentives for
another year is an important investment to help alleviate some of the
additional pressures that schools in regional and remote areas face when
recruiting staff.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I apologise
for interrupting you, but we have private members' business brought on
early today.
Mr R.S. LOVE : Madam Speaker.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of the
House will move a motion and then the member Leader of the Opposition will be
given the call.
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