❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks data on school chaplains/student wellbeing officers in public schools, including numbers, ratios to students, and historical data. The answer provides some data from centralised procurement but highlights limitations of simple ratios.
AnsweredQoN 100Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) As at the first day of Term 1 2025, how many school chaplains were engaged in WA public schools? (2) As at the first day of Term 1 2025, what was the ratio of the total number of engaged school chaplains to the total number of students in WA public schools? (3) Please provide a breakdown of (2) by providing ratios by Education Region? (4) What is the equivalent answer for (1) and (2) for the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 school years?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 June 2025
Responded by
Minister for Education
Response time
11 days
Chaplains and Student Wellbeing Officers play a vital role in each school’s overall pastoral care provision. In Western Australia, public schools can engage a third party to engage personnel to provide pastoral care and/or student wellbeing support services under the titles of chaplain and/or student wellbeing officers. These can be accessed through the centralised procurement arrangement, or a school may undertake their own procurement process if they wish to engage an alternative service provider. Additionally, a school may direct hire staff outside these arrangements, to assist with student wellbeing support.
All schools have a student wellbeing process and approach for identification and support of students with wellbeing needs. They have access to supports and resources including school psychologists, Youth Mental Health First Aid professional learning for staff, Teen Mental Health First Aid for students in Years 10 to 12, Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training for staff, the Be You programs directory and the School of Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health.
The Department of Education advises as at 27 May 2025:
(1) The number of chaplain/student wellbeing officers engaged in WA public schools through centralised procurement arrangements is 512.
(2 - 4) Based on the centralised procurement arrangements, the ratio of chaplains/student wellbeing officers to WA public school students is 1:646. It is important to note a simple ratio does not provide an accurate representation of the pastoral care services available in schools.
All schools have a student wellbeing process and approach for identification and support of students with wellbeing needs. They have access to supports and resources including school psychologists, Youth Mental Health First Aid professional learning for staff, Teen Mental Health First Aid for students in Years 10 to 12, Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training for staff, the Be You programs directory and the School of Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health.
The Department of Education advises as at 27 May 2025:
(1) The number of chaplain/student wellbeing officers engaged in WA public schools through centralised procurement arrangements is 512.
(2 - 4) Based on the centralised procurement arrangements, the ratio of chaplains/student wellbeing officers to WA public school students is 1:646. It is important to note a simple ratio does not provide an accurate representation of the pastoral care services available in schools.
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