❓ Mr. Waldron questions the Minister for Education about support for district high schools, particularly regarding staffing levels and student retention. The Minister acknowledges the importance of district high schools and outlines recent investments in primary and early high school education, while admitting more needs to be done.
AnsweredQoN 983Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS
I refer to the minister’s announcement last week that the Government will provide an additional 350 teachers for junior primary education. (1) Does the minister acknowledge the significant role that district high schools play in sustaining and invigorating many aspects of life in rural communities? (2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER
I refer to the minister’s announcement last week that the Government will provide an additional 350 teachers for junior primary education. (1) Does the minister acknowledge the significant role that district high schools play in sustaining and invigorating many aspects of life in rural communities? (2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(1) Does the minister acknowledge the significant role that district high schools play in sustaining and invigorating many aspects of life in rural communities? (2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9.
With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9.
Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(1) Does the minister acknowledge the significant role that district high schools play in sustaining and invigorating many aspects of life in rural communities? (2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(2) Will the minister acknowledge that district high schools in country areas are finding it increasingly difficult to keep students from moving to larger high schools because of the absence of teachers to deliver a broad subject curriculum? (3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(3) Will the minister outline any plans he has to increase staff levels at small district high schools so that country students can complete their high school education within their own communities? Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
Mr CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of this question. This is a real issue in education. The resourcing of district high schools was looked at by the previous Government and it is something this Government is attempting to address. The answer to the first part of the question is yes; the Government recognises the important role that district high schools play. The answer to the second part of the question is also yes. The Government recognises there is an issue in keeping young people in district high schools rather than having them attend schools in larger centres. There is good educational argument for the benefit of district high schools over and above the other models. However, once children reach high school age, especially senior high school age if the district high school in their area goes to year 10, many parents - not all - often prefer to relocate their children to one of the boarding schools in Perth operated by the government or non-government providers. The member would have experienced that. District high schools generally cater for K-10, or in some cases for K-12. The additional teacher resources in the primary schools will also affect, in a beneficial way, the district high schools at the primary school level. From next year, the primary schools will not need to have more than 24 students per class in years 1 to 3. The Premier announced last week that 347 to 350 teachers would be added to the system. That is an initiative that will be financed from this budget. Over and above that, this Government has already provided to primary schools an additional 90 part-time people - 50 full-time equivalents - for literacy and numeracy specialties in years 1 to 3, and another 50 will be provided next year. Therefore, in 2002 and 2003, an additional 450 teachers will be put into the primary schools. From whichever side of the political spectrum one comes, one must say that that is not a bad effort. Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9. Mr Waldron: Is that flexible? Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
Earlier this year, or late last year - the dates are running together in my mind - the Government announced a behaviour management and discipline program whereby we provided an additional $28 million for years 8 and 9. Part of that was a spin-off from the previous Government’s commitment to reduced class sizes in years 8 and 9. However, the program went well beyond that to provide additional resources for years 8 and 9, which could be applied to class-size reduction or applied by the schools, at their discretion and with the approval of their district directors, to employ other resources to manage years 8 and 9 more effectively in behaviour management and discipline areas. Under that model, I think 60 FTEs were employed - that number may be short of the real figure, but 60 is the figure that sticks in my mind - and an additional $15 million was provided for other programs for the schools. With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9.
With those two programs alone, this Government has provided a massive infusion of resources into the schooling system at both the junior primary school or K-3 level, for which the educational theory is that resources must be provided to get the children off to a good start, and for the transition period in years 8 and 9. The district high schools benefited strongly from the distribution of those resources, particularly in years 8 and 9.
Mr CARPENTER: Yes, that is flexible. Having said that, I acknowledge that there is still an issue with district high schools, and the broader Government is aware of that. We will have to progress that as we go through our period of government. However, I hope the member will concede that we cannot do everything in one hit. We have provided enormous extra human resources, which are the most important resources, in education. Over and above that, we have also provided better information technology resources. However, I concede that the task is not complete. I must visit as many district high schools as I can to try to familiarise myself with their requirements. It was a good question. The Government has already done a lot to provide additional resources. However, as I said, the task is not complete.
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