❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Minister for Education regarding the effectiveness of student attendance plans at Halls Creek District High School and the alleged 'persecution' of a whistleblower. The Minister acknowledges the issue and ongoing efforts to improve attendance.
AnsweredQoN 99Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HALLS
CREEK DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL — ATTENDANCE
99. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the persecution
by the Department of Education of whistleblower Brock Burston, who put endemic
truancy in the Kimberley on the
government's radar. That resulted in an apology from the former
Minister for Education and Training,
who admitted that the department had failed in its response to recommendations
made by the Ombudsman regarding student attendance plans at Halls Creek
District High School.
(1) Given the
department initially botched the rollout of student attendance plans at Halls
Creek District High School, can the minister confirm the program is now
working?
(2) As Mr
Burston was found not guilty of improperly releasing information, will the new
minister call off the persecution and reverse the penalty imposed on this
innocent education advocate and his family?
The SPEAKER : I offer some advice there. Although I am
not 100 per cent familiar with this issue, I am noting more and more that a lot
of the questions have imputations in them. I draw the opposition's
attention to standing order 77, which has
some guidelines about what is allowed in questions and what is not. The word ''persecution''
is a very strong imputation. It may be justified, but I caution members
about those kinds of imputations in questions.
CREEK DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL — ATTENDANCE
99. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the persecution
by the Department of Education of whistleblower Brock Burston, who put endemic
truancy in the Kimberley on the
government's radar. That resulted in an apology from the former
Minister for Education and Training,
who admitted that the department had failed in its response to recommendations
made by the Ombudsman regarding student attendance plans at Halls Creek
District High School.
(1) Given the
department initially botched the rollout of student attendance plans at Halls
Creek District High School, can the minister confirm the program is now
working?
(2) As Mr
Burston was found not guilty of improperly releasing information, will the new
minister call off the persecution and reverse the penalty imposed on this
innocent education advocate and his family?
The SPEAKER : I offer some advice there. Although I am
not 100 per cent familiar with this issue, I am noting more and more that a lot
of the questions have imputations in them. I draw the opposition's
attention to standing order 77, which has
some guidelines about what is allowed in questions and what is not. The word ''persecution''
is a very strong imputation. It may be justified, but I caution members
about those kinds of imputations in questions.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I do not accept some of the member's
emotive language, as the Speaker has outlined. What is most important here is the education attendance of students in remote communities and in Halls
Head, which the member referred to. The department is addressing that as best
it can. A lot of effort has been put into trying to improve the attendance of
students.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I just query whether you
said Halls Head or Halls Creek?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Sorry; Halls
Creek.
As the member knows, the former
Minister for Education and Training made a statement in Parliament. The issue
of improving the attendance of students in Halls Creek has been addressed. It
is an ongoing process. We will continue to monitor that and do everything we
can to ensure that the attendance rate improves.
emotive language, as the Speaker has outlined. What is most important here is the education attendance of students in remote communities and in Halls
Head, which the member referred to. The department is addressing that as best
it can. A lot of effort has been put into trying to improve the attendance of
students.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I just query whether you
said Halls Head or Halls Creek?
Dr A.D. BUTI : Sorry; Halls
Creek.
As the member knows, the former
Minister for Education and Training made a statement in Parliament. The issue
of improving the attendance of students in Halls Creek has been addressed. It
is an ongoing process. We will continue to monitor that and do everything we
can to ensure that the attendance rate improves.
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