❓ Mr. Blayney questions the Premier on the effectiveness of fining disadvantaged families for student truancy during the Coronavirus pandemic. The Premier responds that no fines have been issued and attendance rates are returning to normal.
AnsweredQoN 349Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — SCHOOLS — TRUANCY
OFFICERS
349. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Given that some of these
children come from disadvantaged families, does the Premier think that a fine
option would be more effective?
OFFICERS
349. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Given that some of these
children come from disadvantaged families, does the Premier think that a fine
option would be more effective?
AnswerView source ↗
The answer is clearly no.
As I just said, I have not been advised of any families who have been fined for
non-attendance of students at this time. Attendance is at the normal
rate, which is over 90 per cent. I received advice the other day that for
boarding colleges it is 70 per cent or thereabouts, so it is climbing very
significantly. When we opened the residential
colleges a few weeks ago, attendance on the first day was, from memory, about
30 per cent. That is now up to about 70 per cent. When we brought
schools back, on the first day, I think attendance rates were somewhere between
50 per cent and 60 per cent, but I am relying on my memory.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : It was 58 per cent.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was 58 per cent. It is now above 90 per cent,
so we are happy with that outcome. I know that parents are happy with that outcome. When the minister for education had
a roundtable meeting with the State School Teachers' Union of
WA, educators, principals and the like, prior to implementing the mandated
requirement for attendance at school, she said, and I think that it was
published, that there was universal agreement on mandatory attendance at
school. The Western Australian community has worked well together. The education
minister has led this, and we have got schools back in a way that the eastern
states have not.
As I just said, I have not been advised of any families who have been fined for
non-attendance of students at this time. Attendance is at the normal
rate, which is over 90 per cent. I received advice the other day that for
boarding colleges it is 70 per cent or thereabouts, so it is climbing very
significantly. When we opened the residential
colleges a few weeks ago, attendance on the first day was, from memory, about
30 per cent. That is now up to about 70 per cent. When we brought
schools back, on the first day, I think attendance rates were somewhere between
50 per cent and 60 per cent, but I am relying on my memory.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : It was 58 per cent.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was 58 per cent. It is now above 90 per cent,
so we are happy with that outcome. I know that parents are happy with that outcome. When the minister for education had
a roundtable meeting with the State School Teachers' Union of
WA, educators, principals and the like, prior to implementing the mandated
requirement for attendance at school, she said, and I think that it was
published, that there was universal agreement on mandatory attendance at
school. The Western Australian community has worked well together. The education
minister has led this, and we have got schools back in a way that the eastern
states have not.
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