Mrs. Roberts questions the specific advantages and accountability measures of independent public schools compared to existing schools, and inquires about the budget allocation for their implementation. The Minister's response focuses on staffing profiles and school-level budget control.

AnsweredQoN 758Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 September 2009
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
I refer to the minister’s independent schools announcement. (1) Given that merit select schools can already select staff and given that schools can already promote certain subject areas, what specific further advantages will independent schools have in either staff selection or subject selection that schools do not have now? (2) The minister has asserted that stringent accountability measures will be put in place for independent schools. What are those measures and how do they exceed what is already in place for schools? (3) Is there a budget allocation for the implementation of independent schools; and, if so, what is that allocation? Dr E. CONSTABLE

AnswerView source ↗

I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
(1) Given that merit select schools can already select staff and given that schools can already promote certain subject areas, what specific further advantages will independent schools have in either staff selection or subject selection that schools do not have now? (2) The minister has asserted that stringent accountability measures will be put in place for independent schools. What are those measures and how do they exceed what is already in place for schools? (3) Is there a budget allocation for the implementation of independent schools; and, if so, what is that allocation? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
(2) The minister has asserted that stringent accountability measures will be put in place for independent schools. What are those measures and how do they exceed what is already in place for schools? (3) Is there a budget allocation for the implementation of independent schools; and, if so, what is that allocation? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
(3) Is there a budget allocation for the implementation of independent schools; and, if so, what is that allocation? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
I begin by acknowledging on behalf of the Premier the students from Iona Presentation College, and on behalf of the Deputy Premier, the students from Glencoe Primary School who are with us today. (1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
(1)-(3) The difference is that independent public schools in the selection of their staff will be able to, over time, work out their own profile of staff that they wish to employ and then select them all on merit. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Can merit select schools not do that now? Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : They do not set their own profile, member for Midland. One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
One of the major differences, of course, in the flexibilities will be in the budget and looking at that budget and determining what is appropriate for that particular school. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Does the minister’s department have a budget for it? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : Each individual school will be allocated its own budget and that budget will of course be determined for each individual school by the Department of Education and Training. The size of the school, the number of students, the needs of students with disabilities—all those things—will be put into a budget for each individual school as a one-line budget and the school will determine how to allocate that budget. There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.
There will be stringent measures put in place for schools in terms of accountability, just like we have for all non-government schools. All schools will be subject to legislation, such as the School Education Act and the Curriculum Council Act, and to agreements in place, particularly industrial agreements.

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