❓ Hon Martin Aldridge questions the Minister for Education and Training regarding discrepancies in statements about a 'watchlist' of schools considered for closure and seeks clarification on closure criteria and proposed school closures. The Minister responds, clarifying the criteria and listing schools advised as meeting closure criteria in 2017 and 2018.
AnsweredQoN 291Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS — CLOSURE
291. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to Legislative Council
question without notice 273 about school closures.
(1) If the
Department of Education does not have a watchlist of schools considered for
closure, why did the minister tell the Standing Committee on Estimates and
Financial Operations on three occasions during hearings into the 2017–18
state budget on 17 October 2017 that such a watchlist exists?
(2) Was the
evidence that was given by the minister on 17 October 2017 correct or was the answer
to question without notice 273 correct; and, when does the minister intend to
correct the record and apologise to either the standing committee or the house?
(3) Does the
cabinet-endorsed criteria for closure include student numbers; and, if so, what
are the number-related thresholds?
(4) Can the
minister please table the policy of the Department of Education as well as the
cabinet-endorsed criteria about school closures?
(5) For the 2017,
2018 and 2019 school years in which the minister has presided as Minister for
Education and Training, can she please identify the schools that have been
proposed by the Department of Education as meeting the criteria for school
closure?
291. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to Legislative Council
question without notice 273 about school closures.
(1) If the
Department of Education does not have a watchlist of schools considered for
closure, why did the minister tell the Standing Committee on Estimates and
Financial Operations on three occasions during hearings into the 2017–18
state budget on 17 October 2017 that such a watchlist exists?
(2) Was the
evidence that was given by the minister on 17 October 2017 correct or was the answer
to question without notice 273 correct; and, when does the minister intend to
correct the record and apologise to either the standing committee or the house?
(3) Does the
cabinet-endorsed criteria for closure include student numbers; and, if so, what
are the number-related thresholds?
(4) Can the
minister please table the policy of the Department of Education as well as the
cabinet-endorsed criteria about school closures?
(5) For the 2017,
2018 and 2019 school years in which the minister has presided as Minister for
Education and Training, can she please identify the schools that have been
proposed by the Department of Education as meeting the criteria for school
closure?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
Department of Education provides me, annually, with the same information about
school closures as was provided annually to the former Minister for Education.
In fact, in response to a question I put to the former minister at the 2014–15
annual report hearings, asking for the list of schools that are on the
watchlist for closure due to low numbers, this response was provided —
Answer: The Department of Education
does not have a watch list. Any recommendation for closure is only made after
an analysis of enrolments over previous years and the particular circumstances
of each school.
If it was not a watchlist then, it is
not watchlist now.
(3) Yes. The
criteria endorsed by cabinet are the same criteria endorsed by the former
Liberal government cabinet and were outlined in my answer to Legislative
Council question without notice 273 provided to the member yesterday. It
includes consistently low average enrolments for at least two years. This is 10
students or fewer for remote community and isolated schools, 15 students or
fewer for rural primary schools, and 150 students or fewer for metropolitan
primary schools.
(4) There is no
department policy on school closures. The decision to close a school sits with
the Minister for Education.
(5) I have not
yet received advice for 2019. In 2017 and 2018, the Department of Education
advised me of the following schools that met the endorsed criteria for closure.
The rest of the answer is two lists. I seek leave to incorporate them into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
2017:
Waddington
Primary School
Spearwood
Alternative School
Padbury
Primary School
Bentley
Primary School
Westminster
Primary School
Jerdacuttup
Primary School
Woodanilling
Primary School
Jungdranung
Remote Community School
2018:
Padbury
Primary School
Waddington
Primary School
Westminster
Primary School
Spearwood
Alternative School
Southwell
Primary School
Jerdacuttup
Primary School
Babakin
Primary School
Jungdranung
Remote Community School
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
Department of Education provides me, annually, with the same information about
school closures as was provided annually to the former Minister for Education.
In fact, in response to a question I put to the former minister at the 2014–15
annual report hearings, asking for the list of schools that are on the
watchlist for closure due to low numbers, this response was provided —
Answer: The Department of Education
does not have a watch list. Any recommendation for closure is only made after
an analysis of enrolments over previous years and the particular circumstances
of each school.
If it was not a watchlist then, it is
not watchlist now.
(3) Yes. The
criteria endorsed by cabinet are the same criteria endorsed by the former
Liberal government cabinet and were outlined in my answer to Legislative
Council question without notice 273 provided to the member yesterday. It
includes consistently low average enrolments for at least two years. This is 10
students or fewer for remote community and isolated schools, 15 students or
fewer for rural primary schools, and 150 students or fewer for metropolitan
primary schools.
(4) There is no
department policy on school closures. The decision to close a school sits with
the Minister for Education.
(5) I have not
yet received advice for 2019. In 2017 and 2018, the Department of Education
advised me of the following schools that met the endorsed criteria for closure.
The rest of the answer is two lists. I seek leave to incorporate them into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
2017:
Waddington
Primary School
Spearwood
Alternative School
Padbury
Primary School
Bentley
Primary School
Westminster
Primary School
Jerdacuttup
Primary School
Woodanilling
Primary School
Jungdranung
Remote Community School
2018:
Padbury
Primary School
Waddington
Primary School
Westminster
Primary School
Spearwood
Alternative School
Southwell
Primary School
Jerdacuttup
Primary School
Babakin
Primary School
Jungdranung
Remote Community School
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