❓ Hon Frank Hough questions why the Department of Education's duty of care for expelled compulsory-age students isn't transferred to other services like TAFE. Hon G.T. GIFFARD responds that the Department retains responsibility as long as the student is within the government school system, including alternative programs.
AnsweredQoN 448Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Given that compulsory-age students, being 15 years and under, are afforded by way of funding from the Department of Education, services such as counsellors, chaplains and medical services specifically trained in youth issues when enrolled in secondary schools, why, when a compulsory-age student has been expelled from secondary school, is the Department of Education’s duty of care not transferred to other services, such as TAFE, which then provide a facility for students for whom the Department of Education has seen fit to abrogate its responsibility? Hon G.T. GIFFARD
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
Although a compulsory-age student may be excluded from a secondary school, the student is not excluded from the government school system. Responsibility for the education and duty of care of the student remains firmly with the Department of Education when a student is attending a government school. Alternative education programs are permitted under the School Education Act. Attendance at these programs is under the authority of the principal who retains duty of care for the students while they are attending the school. In addition, on completion of a TAFE course, a compulsory-age student would be required to return to a school.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.