❓ Question regarding the benefits of establishing 10 child and parent centres on school sites for young children, with the Minister outlining integrated services like speech therapy, counselling, and parental support to improve school readiness.
AnsweredQoN 117Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
early childhood education —
school-based CHILD AND PARENT CENTRES
117. Mr P. ABETZ to the Minister for Education:
The minister made a very important announcement this week
about the establishment of 10 child and parent centres on school sites. Can the
minister tell us how these centres will benefit very young children in our
communities?
school-based CHILD AND PARENT CENTRES
117. Mr P. ABETZ to the Minister for Education:
The minister made a very important announcement this week
about the establishment of 10 child and parent centres on school sites. Can the
minister tell us how these centres will benefit very young children in our
communities?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Southern
River for his question.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, I am formally going to call you to
order for the first time today. Member for Girrawheen, you are being formally
called to order for the third time today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : I
thank the member for Southern River for his question about the very important
announcement that was made about the 10 centres on school sites that will be
established for young children and their families. In every one of these 10
centres, every family will be welcome. When a family walks into a centre, their
own individual needs will be catered for by the staff in that centre. The
premise for putting these centres in place is that we want the very best for
all children, and we know that parents want the very best for all children. But
sometimes parents do not have the personal resources or the financial resources
that they require, or would like to have, to do the very best for their
children, so they will know that when their children come to school they will
be ready to learn and be very happy little individuals.
So we are changing the way that we do things. Rather than
asking parents to seek out and find those things for themselves, we are
bringing them onto school sites so that, in one place, parents can find the
things that they need. So we are taking the services to families.
Mr J.N. Hyde : Will
there be a speech therapist at each of those 10 sites?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Perth, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE :
Within those centres there will be a range of services integrating what we do
now. It brings them onto those school sites so that they are a one-stop shop
for parents. I will give some examples of the sorts of things that will happen.
Maybe a parent has concerns about their child's behaviour. Within that
centre, that parent will be able to come in, have their child assessed and find
maybe some counselling—a school psychologist—or some other
support. Perhaps there will be a positive parenting program that they can
attend to add to their skills in working with their own child. Another child
might have delayed language development. In that case, that child would be
assessed to see where their language development is at. We all know how
important language development is to a child's readiness for school.
After the child is assessed, they may need a speech therapist. There has been
great interest, Mr Speaker, you would be interested to know, from our
universities to place senior students in their fourth and fifth years of study
in speech therapy and occupational therapy in our schools. One school in
Calista, where we announced this decision the other day, already has students
and speech therapists. Of course there will be speech therapists and I expect
that there will be occupational therapists as well, if that is required.
A parent might feel very isolated because they are a single
parent or their partner is working up north or away from home. Often those
people find it very difficult to access help and support. Within a centre such
as this, there will be support for the parent as well as the child. There might
be a playgroup. There might be an opportunity for that person who feels
isolated in the community to make friends and to be part of the centre. For
those parents who perhaps do not have the confidence to go to a centre, there
will be an outreach program with home visiting from centre staff to assist
those parents with their children. Therefore, a whole range of services will be
co-located and integrated on these sites.
What we want is for every child to be ready to learn when
they come to school. I have been very encouraged by some of the comments made
by professionals and others in the community. I will read two or three of those
to you, Mr Speaker, so that you will be aware of those as well. Professor
Trevor Parry, from the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University
of Western Australia said it is much appreciated. According to my notes, Greg
Ryan-Gadsden from the Smith Family stated —
The Smith Family congratulates the State Government on its initiatives
to facilitate the coordination and collaboration of vital early years services
which will improve the life outcomes of all children, regardless of their
circumstances.
I have comments from a couple of schools. The schools are
absolutely over the moon that they will have buildings built and coordinators
appointed, which they have not had before.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I formally call you to order for the first time
today. Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the third time
today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE :
According to my notes, Narelle Ward, the acting principal of South Hedland
Primary School, stated —
I am very excited about this and appreciative of the support that will
be provided to our school and community. Many thanks
The principal of Carey Park Primary School, Peter Rigden,
according to my notes, stated —
Brilliant news this resource will make a real difference to the
education of the very young children at risk in our community. We have been
working very hard to encourage our families to access services and having them
at school is a real win.
We will invest $28.8 million in capital works at each of the
10 schools and we will appoint coordinators at those schools in the next few
months. This is a major investment, not just in dollars; it is an investment in
the future of children in Western Australia.
River for his question.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, I am formally going to call you to
order for the first time today. Member for Girrawheen, you are being formally
called to order for the third time today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : I
thank the member for Southern River for his question about the very important
announcement that was made about the 10 centres on school sites that will be
established for young children and their families. In every one of these 10
centres, every family will be welcome. When a family walks into a centre, their
own individual needs will be catered for by the staff in that centre. The
premise for putting these centres in place is that we want the very best for
all children, and we know that parents want the very best for all children. But
sometimes parents do not have the personal resources or the financial resources
that they require, or would like to have, to do the very best for their
children, so they will know that when their children come to school they will
be ready to learn and be very happy little individuals.
So we are changing the way that we do things. Rather than
asking parents to seek out and find those things for themselves, we are
bringing them onto school sites so that, in one place, parents can find the
things that they need. So we are taking the services to families.
Mr J.N. Hyde : Will
there be a speech therapist at each of those 10 sites?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Perth, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE :
Within those centres there will be a range of services integrating what we do
now. It brings them onto those school sites so that they are a one-stop shop
for parents. I will give some examples of the sorts of things that will happen.
Maybe a parent has concerns about their child's behaviour. Within that
centre, that parent will be able to come in, have their child assessed and find
maybe some counselling—a school psychologist—or some other
support. Perhaps there will be a positive parenting program that they can
attend to add to their skills in working with their own child. Another child
might have delayed language development. In that case, that child would be
assessed to see where their language development is at. We all know how
important language development is to a child's readiness for school.
After the child is assessed, they may need a speech therapist. There has been
great interest, Mr Speaker, you would be interested to know, from our
universities to place senior students in their fourth and fifth years of study
in speech therapy and occupational therapy in our schools. One school in
Calista, where we announced this decision the other day, already has students
and speech therapists. Of course there will be speech therapists and I expect
that there will be occupational therapists as well, if that is required.
A parent might feel very isolated because they are a single
parent or their partner is working up north or away from home. Often those
people find it very difficult to access help and support. Within a centre such
as this, there will be support for the parent as well as the child. There might
be a playgroup. There might be an opportunity for that person who feels
isolated in the community to make friends and to be part of the centre. For
those parents who perhaps do not have the confidence to go to a centre, there
will be an outreach program with home visiting from centre staff to assist
those parents with their children. Therefore, a whole range of services will be
co-located and integrated on these sites.
What we want is for every child to be ready to learn when
they come to school. I have been very encouraged by some of the comments made
by professionals and others in the community. I will read two or three of those
to you, Mr Speaker, so that you will be aware of those as well. Professor
Trevor Parry, from the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University
of Western Australia said it is much appreciated. According to my notes, Greg
Ryan-Gadsden from the Smith Family stated —
The Smith Family congratulates the State Government on its initiatives
to facilitate the coordination and collaboration of vital early years services
which will improve the life outcomes of all children, regardless of their
circumstances.
I have comments from a couple of schools. The schools are
absolutely over the moon that they will have buildings built and coordinators
appointed, which they have not had before.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I formally call you to order for the first time
today. Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the third time
today.
Dr E. CONSTABLE :
According to my notes, Narelle Ward, the acting principal of South Hedland
Primary School, stated —
I am very excited about this and appreciative of the support that will
be provided to our school and community. Many thanks
The principal of Carey Park Primary School, Peter Rigden,
according to my notes, stated —
Brilliant news this resource will make a real difference to the
education of the very young children at risk in our community. We have been
working very hard to encourage our families to access services and having them
at school is a real win.
We will invest $28.8 million in capital works at each of the
10 schools and we will appoint coordinators at those schools in the next few
months. This is a major investment, not just in dollars; it is an investment in
the future of children in Western Australia.
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