❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Education Minister about the formulas used to allocate cleaning and gardening hours to WA schools, and how these formulas will change under the new funding model, which shifts funding to per-student allocations.
AnsweredQoN 1472Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the allocation of cleaning and gardening hours for Western Australian schools: (a) what was the formula for calculating a school’s allocation of cleaning staff hours for this year; (b) will this formula change under the new funding model and, if so, what will be the new formula; (c) what was the formula for calculating a school’s allocation of gardening staff hours for this year; (d) will this formula change under the new funding model and, if so, what will be the new formula; and (e) does the Minister anticipate anything will change in how schools manage cleaning and gardening staff and resources as a result of the new funding model?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
24 September 2014
Responded by
Minister for Education
Response time
36 days
(a) The current formula is based on maximum productivity levels of 300 m
2
per cleaner per hour for internal cleaning and 1200 m
2
per cleaner per hour for covered external areas. The formula also provides for loadings and allowances to meet special requirements, such as a 20% loading for early childhood centres, pre-primary centres and special needs facilities. A loading of 15-20% is allowed for vinyl floors. In addition, a loading is provided for each toilet bowl to be cleaned with an extra 8.5m
2
added to the floor area, thereby increasing the total time allocation.
(b) The current formula does not change and is provided as a reference to schools to assist them in determining the number of cleaning hours required to ensure the school is safe and hygiene requirements are met. Under the new model, the funding previously provided for cleaning will be redistributed through the per-student funding and, where relevant, the enrolment-linked base allocation.
(c) In 2014, a senior high school is allocated 60 hours per week or 1.5 full time gardeners, a district high school is allocated 40 hours or 1.0 FTE and a primary school is allocated 24 hours or 0.6 FTE.
(d) The current formula does not change and is provided as a reference to schools to assist them in determining the number of gardening hours required to ensure the school is safe and hygiene requirements are met. Under the new model, the funding previously provided for gardening will be redistributed through the per-student funding and, where relevant, the enrolment-linked base allocation.
(e) Under the new model, principals have the flexibility to decide how to allocate resources and will consider the most effective operations for their school.
2
per cleaner per hour for internal cleaning and 1200 m
2
per cleaner per hour for covered external areas. The formula also provides for loadings and allowances to meet special requirements, such as a 20% loading for early childhood centres, pre-primary centres and special needs facilities. A loading of 15-20% is allowed for vinyl floors. In addition, a loading is provided for each toilet bowl to be cleaned with an extra 8.5m
2
added to the floor area, thereby increasing the total time allocation.
(b) The current formula does not change and is provided as a reference to schools to assist them in determining the number of cleaning hours required to ensure the school is safe and hygiene requirements are met. Under the new model, the funding previously provided for cleaning will be redistributed through the per-student funding and, where relevant, the enrolment-linked base allocation.
(c) In 2014, a senior high school is allocated 60 hours per week or 1.5 full time gardeners, a district high school is allocated 40 hours or 1.0 FTE and a primary school is allocated 24 hours or 0.6 FTE.
(d) The current formula does not change and is provided as a reference to schools to assist them in determining the number of gardening hours required to ensure the school is safe and hygiene requirements are met. Under the new model, the funding previously provided for gardening will be redistributed through the per-student funding and, where relevant, the enrolment-linked base allocation.
(e) Under the new model, principals have the flexibility to decide how to allocate resources and will consider the most effective operations for their school.
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