❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Minister for Education about the impact of cuts to the Education Participation Program on the department's ability to locate students whose whereabouts are unknown. The Minister argues that tracking students who move is separate from engaging students already enrolled.
AnsweredQoN 735Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EDUCATION PARTICIPATION PROGRAM — OFFICER COMMENT
I refer to the 1 461 kids whose whereabouts are unknown to the Department of Education, and an email dated 19 October 2011 from Mr Bruce Sherborne, the manager of participation for the North Metropolitan Education Region for the Department of Education, to all principals in the north metropolitan region, in which he states that between 2010–11 the number of requests for assistance have increased from 340 to 452. His email states — … with the Participation Directorate in central being decommissioned … The capacity of central office staff still undertaking aspects of participation work is currently reduced … (1) Does the minister stand by her comments on 19 October that she sees no link at all between her cuts to the education participation program and kids disappearing from the system? (2) Is Mr Sherborne correct or is the minister correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE
I refer to the 1 461 kids whose whereabouts are unknown to the Department of Education, and an email dated 19 October 2011 from Mr Bruce Sherborne, the manager of participation for the North Metropolitan Education Region for the Department of Education, to all principals in the north metropolitan region, in which he states that between 2010–11 the number of requests for assistance have increased from 340 to 452. His email states — … with the Participation Directorate in central being decommissioned … The capacity of central office staff still undertaking aspects of participation work is currently reduced … (1) Does the minister stand by her comments on 19 October that she sees no link at all between her cuts to the education participation program and kids disappearing from the system? (2) Is Mr Sherborne correct or is the minister correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
(2) Is Mr Sherborne correct or is the minister correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
(1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
(2) Is Mr Sherborne correct or is the minister correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
(1)–(2) The member for Victoria Park is actually talking about two quite different things here. “Whereabouts unknown”, as I said before, refers to families who move without telling the school that they are moving, and it is the job of the Department of Education to try to find those students. Sometimes they move from one town to another, and enrol there and then — Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : And you have cut that section to the department. Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : By looking at records in the schools, those judgements can be made on whether or not it is the same child who has moved. Often those people move interstate. Sometimes the children are from transient families in the north of the state—we know that—so that we do not know their whereabouts. That is quite different from dealing with students who we are trying to keep engaged in and participating in our schools. There is a raft of programs for participation. Every school has an attendance officer—or almost every school. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Every school has an attendance officer? Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : Almost every school has someone responsible for attendance, and other officers chase up the parents of those students who are not at school. There are therefore two different things here. There are families who move and we do not know their whereabouts, as they move without telling us where they are going; and there is the matter of participation of those students who are already enrolled and whether or not they are attending, participating and engaging in the programs in which they are enrolled. But they are quite different things. Of course we want to find those students whose whereabouts we do not know, and we want to find those students and make sure that they are enrolled in our schools. That is our job in education.
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