❓ Mr Catania asks how Royalties for Regions improves educational opportunities in Merredin. Minister Grylls details funding contributions to Merredin College and Residential College upgrades, highlighting increased capacity and student pride.
AnsweredQoN 554Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MERREDIN COLLEGE
AND RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE — royalties for regions
554. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
With the recent opening of Merredin
College and the new upgrades to Merredin Residential College, can the minister
explain to the house how the royalties for regions program is improving
educational opportunities for regional students?
AND RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE — royalties for regions
554. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
With the recent opening of Merredin
College and the new upgrades to Merredin Residential College, can the minister
explain to the house how the royalties for regions program is improving
educational opportunities for regional students?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West
for the question. We have just recently opened the new Merredin College. That
is a really good example of how the royalties for regions program can partner
with the Department of Education to deliver a revolution in education in the
eastern wheatbelt region —
Mr
R.H. Cook : A revolution?
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : It is a revolution. Let me tell members about it. This program
has been able to accelerate the regional school upgrades across the length and
breadth of regional Western Australia, with $100 million into the regional
schools plan. This has been added to with a further $50 million into the
regional residential colleges program, thereby providing a comprehensive
funding model for the Department of Education to look at renewing its assets in
regional Western Australia—but, more importantly than just renewing its
assets, it is looking at the whole structure of the way we deliver education in
regional areas.
During 2009, in close consultation
with the Merredin community—it was not easy consultation—the
decision was made to amalgamate North and South Merredin Primary Schools onto
the high school site to form Merredin College. It is important for me to
acknowledge the former Minister for Education, Hon Liz Constable, for the work
that she did in bringing this project to reality.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Will you also be acknowledging the BER money that went in?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
will be acknowledging the Building the Education Revolution money that went in —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Excellent.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : —
because that was important as well.
Royalties for regions contributed $6 million; BER put in, I
think, $3.9 million; and I think the education department's
consolidated budget put in a similar amount to the royalties for regions
account.
These new facilities were opened by
education minister Collier on 14 September, and 650 students are now enrolled
at Merredin College. The capital works included 17 new classrooms, a new
canteen, and separate covered eating areas for primary and secondary students,
and also a dental therapy centre to deal with issues of teeth hygiene for all
the students. The students now have access to specialist facilities, including
a gymnasium, science labs, home economics rooms, and design and technology
workshops.
One of the things that, as a local
member, I was very heartened by was that we had struggled for a number of years
to lift the amount of pride felt in Merredin Senior High School, and trying to
get the students at Merredin Senior High School to wear their uniform was a
losing battle. To have the education minister there a couple of weeks back,
with 650 kids in their brand-new, blue Merredin College uniform, said a lot
about the culture of the school and said a lot about where the new principal
wants to take that school, and I think it also sent a very clear message that
we are striving to provide a premium level of education to students in regional
areas.
The residential college has
undergone a $9 million redevelopment, with four new accommodation units and 48
new beds. Until the upgrade, the maximum number of students at Merredin
Residential College was around 25 to 30. We are now up to maximum capacity, and
77 students are enrolled for 2015, which means that the education department
will need to look at adding more beds to the residential college because of the
huge demand now for students from the region to come to Merredin College to undertake
their schooling.
The really important thing to
understand is that many families are concerned about the transition of primary
school students into year 7 in high school. They are concerned about sending
their children away to boarding school in Perth at this time. We need to make
it very, very clear to them that if they live far enough away from a district
high school, they are eligible for all of the subsidies that apply to boarding
away from home. Advice has been given to me that if families live more than 50
kilometres from a district high school, for less than $1 000 a year, their
child can get a boarding place at Merredin Residential College and can go to
school at the brand-new Merredin College. This is a first-class state education
that is offered close to home for students who want to be educated in their
region rather than come to Perth. This is why this project is so important. It
is leading the way in providing a locally based education option for the many
families who thought that Perth was their only option to educate their kids.
Mr P.B. Watson :
Will you be shifting back to Merredin now to educate your kids?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
wish I could! It is certainly an outstanding school. We might do a bit of work
on the Port Hedland school too, member for Albany, and have that option as
well.
The great thing is that no matter where people live in
regional Western Australia, there is now a complete plan to upgrade senior high
schools and residential boarding facilities to make sure that as we look to
transition year 7s into high school, there are options close to home and that
people can have a choice between coming to Perth to educate their kids and
educating them in their local area.
This has been a really important project, and I would
encourage all regional members to come to Merredin and look at this project and
see how it may provide options and opportunities in their own community. We
will continue to work closely with the education department to make sure that a
state school education in regional Western Australia is not seen as a
second-class option, as it has been for so long. The new Merredin College and
Merredin Residential College are certainly not a second-class option. They are
a first-class option, and all those involved should be congratulated.
for the question. We have just recently opened the new Merredin College. That
is a really good example of how the royalties for regions program can partner
with the Department of Education to deliver a revolution in education in the
eastern wheatbelt region —
Mr
R.H. Cook : A revolution?
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : It is a revolution. Let me tell members about it. This program
has been able to accelerate the regional school upgrades across the length and
breadth of regional Western Australia, with $100 million into the regional
schools plan. This has been added to with a further $50 million into the
regional residential colleges program, thereby providing a comprehensive
funding model for the Department of Education to look at renewing its assets in
regional Western Australia—but, more importantly than just renewing its
assets, it is looking at the whole structure of the way we deliver education in
regional areas.
During 2009, in close consultation
with the Merredin community—it was not easy consultation—the
decision was made to amalgamate North and South Merredin Primary Schools onto
the high school site to form Merredin College. It is important for me to
acknowledge the former Minister for Education, Hon Liz Constable, for the work
that she did in bringing this project to reality.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Will you also be acknowledging the BER money that went in?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
will be acknowledging the Building the Education Revolution money that went in —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Excellent.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : —
because that was important as well.
Royalties for regions contributed $6 million; BER put in, I
think, $3.9 million; and I think the education department's
consolidated budget put in a similar amount to the royalties for regions
account.
These new facilities were opened by
education minister Collier on 14 September, and 650 students are now enrolled
at Merredin College. The capital works included 17 new classrooms, a new
canteen, and separate covered eating areas for primary and secondary students,
and also a dental therapy centre to deal with issues of teeth hygiene for all
the students. The students now have access to specialist facilities, including
a gymnasium, science labs, home economics rooms, and design and technology
workshops.
One of the things that, as a local
member, I was very heartened by was that we had struggled for a number of years
to lift the amount of pride felt in Merredin Senior High School, and trying to
get the students at Merredin Senior High School to wear their uniform was a
losing battle. To have the education minister there a couple of weeks back,
with 650 kids in their brand-new, blue Merredin College uniform, said a lot
about the culture of the school and said a lot about where the new principal
wants to take that school, and I think it also sent a very clear message that
we are striving to provide a premium level of education to students in regional
areas.
The residential college has
undergone a $9 million redevelopment, with four new accommodation units and 48
new beds. Until the upgrade, the maximum number of students at Merredin
Residential College was around 25 to 30. We are now up to maximum capacity, and
77 students are enrolled for 2015, which means that the education department
will need to look at adding more beds to the residential college because of the
huge demand now for students from the region to come to Merredin College to undertake
their schooling.
The really important thing to
understand is that many families are concerned about the transition of primary
school students into year 7 in high school. They are concerned about sending
their children away to boarding school in Perth at this time. We need to make
it very, very clear to them that if they live far enough away from a district
high school, they are eligible for all of the subsidies that apply to boarding
away from home. Advice has been given to me that if families live more than 50
kilometres from a district high school, for less than $1 000 a year, their
child can get a boarding place at Merredin Residential College and can go to
school at the brand-new Merredin College. This is a first-class state education
that is offered close to home for students who want to be educated in their
region rather than come to Perth. This is why this project is so important. It
is leading the way in providing a locally based education option for the many
families who thought that Perth was their only option to educate their kids.
Mr P.B. Watson :
Will you be shifting back to Merredin now to educate your kids?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
wish I could! It is certainly an outstanding school. We might do a bit of work
on the Port Hedland school too, member for Albany, and have that option as
well.
The great thing is that no matter where people live in
regional Western Australia, there is now a complete plan to upgrade senior high
schools and residential boarding facilities to make sure that as we look to
transition year 7s into high school, there are options close to home and that
people can have a choice between coming to Perth to educate their kids and
educating them in their local area.
This has been a really important project, and I would
encourage all regional members to come to Merredin and look at this project and
see how it may provide options and opportunities in their own community. We
will continue to work closely with the education department to make sure that a
state school education in regional Western Australia is not seen as a
second-class option, as it has been for so long. The new Merredin College and
Merredin Residential College are certainly not a second-class option. They are
a first-class option, and all those involved should be congratulated.
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