❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Education on the rationale behind imposing a long service leave levy on WA public schools, specifically how it improves efficiency and educational outcomes. The Minister's response focuses on sustainability and a student-centred model.
AnsweredQoN 540Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL
STAFF — LONG SERVICE LEAVE LEVY
540. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the decision to impose a long service leave levy
on every WA public school of $600 per teacher and $400 per non-teaching staff
member per year.
(1) How does this tax on school jobs improve the efficiency
of each of those schools?
(2) How does this tax on school jobs improve educational
outcomes of each of those schools?
STAFF — LONG SERVICE LEAVE LEVY
540. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the decision to impose a long service leave levy
on every WA public school of $600 per teacher and $400 per non-teaching staff
member per year.
(1) How does this tax on school jobs improve the efficiency
of each of those schools?
(2) How does this tax on school jobs improve educational
outcomes of each of those schools?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for the question.
(1)–(2)
The leave liability levy was one of a component of financial structures put in
place as a result of decisions made to move towards a student-centred model of
education
Hon
Sue Ellery : How does that
help you move towards that student-centred model?
Hon
PETER COLLIER : If the
member would allow me to answer the question, I will.
Hon
Sue Ellery : I am
interested.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : The member
has asked the question; she does not need to repeat it.
Hon
Kate Doust interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : I beg Hon Kate
Doust's pardon?
The
PRESIDENT : Order!
Several members interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : These guys
are so bitter! They have got worse after Saturday!
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Before the minister forgets the
question, let him answer it.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : I have gone
over the whole student-centred approach to learning a couple of times this week
and I do not mind going over it again, but it will not take up too much of the
house's time. Suffice it to say that the leave liability component is
very much a component of the whole picture of making education much more
sustainable. As I have said on a number of occasions, we have significantly
increased funding for education over the last four years—by 55 per
cent. That is simply unsustainable in anyone's language. That is at a
time when we have had an increase in the number of students of around eight per
cent. Yes, we have to tighten our belts in education; we really do. We cannot
just keep pouring money into education like this and assume that that will be
the panacea for success.
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : No, I am not
listening to Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich; she will be the last one.
As I said, we are looking at a more
effective, more efficient and much better targeted education system. That is
where we are moving to at the moment. We have got to a situation that has been
identified by Professor Teese as ineffective, complex —
Hon
Sue Ellery : What did he say
about long service leave?
Hon
PETER COLLIER : He said it
has to be better targeted and I stand by this. We have to make sure that we
have a sustainable education system. At the moment we have a situation, as I
said before, in which there is a significantly lower ratio of students to
teachers at the secondary level than we do at the primary level. We are
removing the inequality and making it a much more sustainable situation across
all levels from kindergarten to year 12. We have done some belt-tightening in a
number of areas and that includes the leave liability levy.
(1)–(2)
The leave liability levy was one of a component of financial structures put in
place as a result of decisions made to move towards a student-centred model of
education
Hon
Sue Ellery : How does that
help you move towards that student-centred model?
Hon
PETER COLLIER : If the
member would allow me to answer the question, I will.
Hon
Sue Ellery : I am
interested.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : The member
has asked the question; she does not need to repeat it.
Hon
Kate Doust interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : I beg Hon Kate
Doust's pardon?
The
PRESIDENT : Order!
Several members interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : These guys
are so bitter! They have got worse after Saturday!
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Before the minister forgets the
question, let him answer it.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : I have gone
over the whole student-centred approach to learning a couple of times this week
and I do not mind going over it again, but it will not take up too much of the
house's time. Suffice it to say that the leave liability component is
very much a component of the whole picture of making education much more
sustainable. As I have said on a number of occasions, we have significantly
increased funding for education over the last four years—by 55 per
cent. That is simply unsustainable in anyone's language. That is at a
time when we have had an increase in the number of students of around eight per
cent. Yes, we have to tighten our belts in education; we really do. We cannot
just keep pouring money into education like this and assume that that will be
the panacea for success.
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich interjected.
Hon
PETER COLLIER : No, I am not
listening to Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich; she will be the last one.
As I said, we are looking at a more
effective, more efficient and much better targeted education system. That is
where we are moving to at the moment. We have got to a situation that has been
identified by Professor Teese as ineffective, complex —
Hon
Sue Ellery : What did he say
about long service leave?
Hon
PETER COLLIER : He said it
has to be better targeted and I stand by this. We have to make sure that we
have a sustainable education system. At the moment we have a situation, as I
said before, in which there is a significantly lower ratio of students to
teachers at the secondary level than we do at the primary level. We are
removing the inequality and making it a much more sustainable situation across
all levels from kindergarten to year 12. We have done some belt-tightening in a
number of areas and that includes the leave liability levy.
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