❓ Opposition questions Premier about cuts to Aboriginal education funding and staff. Premier defends reallocation of resources based on student needs, criticising Labor's past inaction and highlighting increased overall education funding.
AnsweredQoN 801Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS —
ABORIGINAL AND ISLANDER EDUCATION OFFICERS
801. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the $103 million of confirmed cuts to education in
the 2013–14 financial year and, in particular, the cuts to Aboriginal
and Islander education officer positions in schools around Western Australia.
(1) Does the
Premier acknowledge that the reduction of 105 full-time equivalent Aboriginal
education officers across the state will damage the education of Aboriginal
students?
(2) Does he
acknowledge that a loss of $2.3 million in the first half of 2014 will hurt
schools across the state, especially in the regions, in relation to Aboriginal
education and Aboriginal children?
(3) Will he now reverse this attack
on Aboriginal education?
ABORIGINAL AND ISLANDER EDUCATION OFFICERS
801. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the $103 million of confirmed cuts to education in
the 2013–14 financial year and, in particular, the cuts to Aboriginal
and Islander education officer positions in schools around Western Australia.
(1) Does the
Premier acknowledge that the reduction of 105 full-time equivalent Aboriginal
education officers across the state will damage the education of Aboriginal
students?
(2) Does he
acknowledge that a loss of $2.3 million in the first half of 2014 will hurt
schools across the state, especially in the regions, in relation to Aboriginal
education and Aboriginal children?
(3) Will he now reverse this attack
on Aboriginal education?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
The Labor Party put out a press release this morning headed ''Confirmation
that Barnett will rip $103 million from WA schools''. It listed a whole
lot of so-called facts. I place on the record that not one single thing in that
announcement had not been announced three months ago; there was nothing new. As
I, the Minister for Education and other members of Parliament have said, we are
reallocating resources and staffing across schools on a student-based funding
model. We have also said that the total number of teaching staff will be
retained next year at the current level and there will be growth in 2015. Next
year will be a year of adjustment. That will be difficult for many schools, but
that is the principle of the Gonski report, which members opposite like to
praise.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The population in government schools is growing quickly, and
far quicker than was anticipated, because of a range of factors. It is the
truth that education funding has gone up by $300 million this financial year.
That does not totally keep up with the growth in the student population; we
recognise that. It means that, on average across the schools, effectively their
budgets will be reduced by 1.2 per cent. For some schools that may be difficult
to accommodate, but that is the way it pans out. As the education minister
outlined only a few days ago, although some schools will lose staff, other
schools will gain staff, because staffing will be allocated according to where
the children are. That is what we are doing.
In terms of education assistants, there were simply too many
in the system and many of them did not have a proper role to play. The number
of education assistants is being reduced and it is being done in a managed way
as they leave. The sorts of conditions that the Labor Party put in place
whereby an education assistant was employed and given permanency at a school
site whether or not the child had moved to senior school was not justifiable or
sustainable. We are doing the reforms in education —
Dr A.D. Buti : That's
not reform; that's cutting.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you very much, member for Armadale. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
again remind members that under this government, we have the highest paid
teachers in Australia and we have the best funded schools in any state of Australia.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is a fact and by a significant margin, and it was recognised in the
statistics prepared for the Gonski report. Unlike the previous government, we
are prepared to undertake genuine reform. Only a couple of weeks ago, the
education minister and I went to Fremantle because the choice for parents and
what is on offer is not good enough. What did the Labor Party do about
Fremantle when it was in government? It did nothing. The minister and I will go
to Armadale—if we can, we will do it before the end of this year, but
it is more likely to be at the beginning of next year—because the
education offering in Armadale is not good enough. In both those areas,
students are not being given the strong academic options that they deserve.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Even though Fremantle and Armadale are two so-called Labor political
strongholds, it did little or nothing in eight years in government. It will be
the Liberal–National government that will undertake much-needed reform
in Fremantle and Armadale. We will do it.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
There is change. I recognise that those changes will be difficult for many
schools. But this is about placing the money and the teachers and support staff
where the children are under a needs-based, student-based system. That is real
reform, which the Labor Party failed to do. The Leader of the Opposition was
the most resented education minister in a long, long time.
The Labor Party put out a press release this morning headed ''Confirmation
that Barnett will rip $103 million from WA schools''. It listed a whole
lot of so-called facts. I place on the record that not one single thing in that
announcement had not been announced three months ago; there was nothing new. As
I, the Minister for Education and other members of Parliament have said, we are
reallocating resources and staffing across schools on a student-based funding
model. We have also said that the total number of teaching staff will be
retained next year at the current level and there will be growth in 2015. Next
year will be a year of adjustment. That will be difficult for many schools, but
that is the principle of the Gonski report, which members opposite like to
praise.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The population in government schools is growing quickly, and
far quicker than was anticipated, because of a range of factors. It is the
truth that education funding has gone up by $300 million this financial year.
That does not totally keep up with the growth in the student population; we
recognise that. It means that, on average across the schools, effectively their
budgets will be reduced by 1.2 per cent. For some schools that may be difficult
to accommodate, but that is the way it pans out. As the education minister
outlined only a few days ago, although some schools will lose staff, other
schools will gain staff, because staffing will be allocated according to where
the children are. That is what we are doing.
In terms of education assistants, there were simply too many
in the system and many of them did not have a proper role to play. The number
of education assistants is being reduced and it is being done in a managed way
as they leave. The sorts of conditions that the Labor Party put in place
whereby an education assistant was employed and given permanency at a school
site whether or not the child had moved to senior school was not justifiable or
sustainable. We are doing the reforms in education —
Dr A.D. Buti : That's
not reform; that's cutting.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you very much, member for Armadale. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
again remind members that under this government, we have the highest paid
teachers in Australia and we have the best funded schools in any state of Australia.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is a fact and by a significant margin, and it was recognised in the
statistics prepared for the Gonski report. Unlike the previous government, we
are prepared to undertake genuine reform. Only a couple of weeks ago, the
education minister and I went to Fremantle because the choice for parents and
what is on offer is not good enough. What did the Labor Party do about
Fremantle when it was in government? It did nothing. The minister and I will go
to Armadale—if we can, we will do it before the end of this year, but
it is more likely to be at the beginning of next year—because the
education offering in Armadale is not good enough. In both those areas,
students are not being given the strong academic options that they deserve.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Even though Fremantle and Armadale are two so-called Labor political
strongholds, it did little or nothing in eight years in government. It will be
the Liberal–National government that will undertake much-needed reform
in Fremantle and Armadale. We will do it.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
There is change. I recognise that those changes will be difficult for many
schools. But this is about placing the money and the teachers and support staff
where the children are under a needs-based, student-based system. That is real
reform, which the Labor Party failed to do. The Leader of the Opposition was
the most resented education minister in a long, long time.
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