The WA government is expanding behaviour management centres in regional areas and investing in related programs like mental health first aid training and positive parenting programs to improve student behaviour in public schools.

AnsweredQoN 501Legislative Assembly
Asked
10 June 2009
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

EDUCATION — BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT CENTRES
In my time as a teacher, I was well aware of antisocial behaviour in the classroom and the playground, and the impact that behaviour had on the education of our students. Can the minister inform the house about what the state government is doing to improve student behaviour in Western Australian public schools? Dr E. CONSTABLE

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her interest in this issue. A major election commitment of the government was a large injection of funds into behaviour management and behaviour improvement. In my first two months as minister I discovered on visits to schools that highly disruptive students are a major issue for teachers and principals. This issue was dealt with by the previous government with the establishment of behaviour management centres. Today I have announced that we will extend that program with six more behaviour management centres—three in the secondary area and three in the primary area. All of these centres will be in major regional centres. Seven of the centres set up by the previous government were in the metropolitan area. The three secondary centres will be in Port Hedland, Bunbury and Geraldton, and the three primary centres are in Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton. Planning for those centres will begin immediately. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be state or federally funded? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They will be funded by the state. Planning will begin immediately, and I hope the centres will be well and truly up and running before the end of the year. These centres are designed to cater for students with highly disruptive and challenging behaviours. They are part of a $46 million strategy in addition to other funding for behaviour management that the government is injecting into this area. The centres provide programs for students who are best dealt with and catered for with individually tailored management programs. A problem that many schools are facing is that these highly disruptive students interfere with the learning of other students, so that at least the plan for them to be moved out of their regular classrooms to participate in programs gives them the best opportunity of being reintegrated into their schools or, if they are older teenagers, to have the opportunity to move into training at some point. In addition to the behaviour centres, government is also providing funds for 25 school psychologists to be trained in the mental first aid program, also to help those students who have extreme emotional and behavioural issues. As well as providing for those students who need support immediately, it is very important to always look at early intervention, and the positive parenting program will receive $1.46 million to provide early intervention programs for 100 centres in the metropolitan area and 60 in country areas. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her interest in this issue. A major election commitment of the government was a large injection of funds into behaviour management and behaviour improvement. In my first two months as minister I discovered on visits to schools that highly disruptive students are a major issue for teachers and principals. This issue was dealt with by the previous government with the establishment of behaviour management centres. Today I have announced that we will extend that program with six more behaviour management centres—three in the secondary area and three in the primary area. All of these centres will be in major regional centres. Seven of the centres set up by the previous government were in the metropolitan area. The three secondary centres will be in Port Hedland, Bunbury and Geraldton, and the three primary centres are in Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton. Planning for those centres will begin immediately. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be state or federally funded? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They will be funded by the state. Planning will begin immediately, and I hope the centres will be well and truly up and running before the end of the year. These centres are designed to cater for students with highly disruptive and challenging behaviours. They are part of a $46 million strategy in addition to other funding for behaviour management that the government is injecting into this area. The centres provide programs for students who are best dealt with and catered for with individually tailored management programs. A problem that many schools are facing is that these highly disruptive students interfere with the learning of other students, so that at least the plan for them to be moved out of their regular classrooms to participate in programs gives them the best opportunity of being reintegrated into their schools or, if they are older teenagers, to have the opportunity to move into training at some point. In addition to the behaviour centres, government is also providing funds for 25 school psychologists to be trained in the mental first aid program, also to help those students who have extreme emotional and behavioural issues. As well as providing for those students who need support immediately, it is very important to always look at early intervention, and the positive parenting program will receive $1.46 million to provide early intervention programs for 100 centres in the metropolitan area and 60 in country areas. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her interest in this issue. A major election commitment of the government was a large injection of funds into behaviour management and behaviour improvement. In my first two months as minister I discovered on visits to schools that highly disruptive students are a major issue for teachers and principals. This issue was dealt with by the previous government with the establishment of behaviour management centres. Today I have announced that we will extend that program with six more behaviour management centres—three in the secondary area and three in the primary area. All of these centres will be in major regional centres. Seven of the centres set up by the previous government were in the metropolitan area. The three secondary centres will be in Port Hedland, Bunbury and Geraldton, and the three primary centres are in Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton. Planning for those centres will begin immediately. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be state or federally funded? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They will be funded by the state. Planning will begin immediately, and I hope the centres will be well and truly up and running before the end of the year. These centres are designed to cater for students with highly disruptive and challenging behaviours. They are part of a $46 million strategy in addition to other funding for behaviour management that the government is injecting into this area. The centres provide programs for students who are best dealt with and catered for with individually tailored management programs. A problem that many schools are facing is that these highly disruptive students interfere with the learning of other students, so that at least the plan for them to be moved out of their regular classrooms to participate in programs gives them the best opportunity of being reintegrated into their schools or, if they are older teenagers, to have the opportunity to move into training at some point. In addition to the behaviour centres, government is also providing funds for 25 school psychologists to be trained in the mental first aid program, also to help those students who have extreme emotional and behavioural issues. As well as providing for those students who need support immediately, it is very important to always look at early intervention, and the positive parenting program will receive $1.46 million to provide early intervention programs for 100 centres in the metropolitan area and 60 in country areas. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be state or federally funded? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They will be funded by the state. Planning will begin immediately, and I hope the centres will be well and truly up and running before the end of the year. These centres are designed to cater for students with highly disruptive and challenging behaviours. They are part of a $46 million strategy in addition to other funding for behaviour management that the government is injecting into this area. The centres provide programs for students who are best dealt with and catered for with individually tailored management programs. A problem that many schools are facing is that these highly disruptive students interfere with the learning of other students, so that at least the plan for them to be moved out of their regular classrooms to participate in programs gives them the best opportunity of being reintegrated into their schools or, if they are older teenagers, to have the opportunity to move into training at some point. In addition to the behaviour centres, government is also providing funds for 25 school psychologists to be trained in the mental first aid program, also to help those students who have extreme emotional and behavioural issues. As well as providing for those students who need support immediately, it is very important to always look at early intervention, and the positive parenting program will receive $1.46 million to provide early intervention programs for 100 centres in the metropolitan area and 60 in country areas. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : They will be funded by the state. Planning will begin immediately, and I hope the centres will be well and truly up and running before the end of the year. These centres are designed to cater for students with highly disruptive and challenging behaviours. They are part of a $46 million strategy in addition to other funding for behaviour management that the government is injecting into this area. The centres provide programs for students who are best dealt with and catered for with individually tailored management programs. A problem that many schools are facing is that these highly disruptive students interfere with the learning of other students, so that at least the plan for them to be moved out of their regular classrooms to participate in programs gives them the best opportunity of being reintegrated into their schools or, if they are older teenagers, to have the opportunity to move into training at some point. In addition to the behaviour centres, government is also providing funds for 25 school psychologists to be trained in the mental first aid program, also to help those students who have extreme emotional and behavioural issues. As well as providing for those students who need support immediately, it is very important to always look at early intervention, and the positive parenting program will receive $1.46 million to provide early intervention programs for 100 centres in the metropolitan area and 60 in country areas. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : What about the 450 teachers’ aide positions you are cutting? Will they help? The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I was very subtle before, but perhaps I should have formally called you to order. I now formally call you to order. Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : All of these things add up to a major commitment by this government to improve behaviour in schools and to support teachers, principals and those students who need special support.

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