Public meetings to be held to give everyone with an interest in education in WA a say on the proposed new School Education Bill 1997

17/7/97

Next week marks the start of a series of 16 public meetings designed to give everyone with an interest in education in Western Australia a say on the proposed new School Education Bill 1997.

The draft bill was released last month for a three-month period of public consultation. It includes more than 200 clauses covering the management of Government and non-Government education and home schooling in the State.

Education Minister Colin Barnett said the public meetings, starting on Wednesday in Claremont, were one of the best opportunities for people to make comment on the draft bill.

"Almost everyone in WA has some sort of interest in education, whether as students, parents, employers or community members," Mr Barnett said.

"The new Act, to replace the current 1928 Education Act, will take WA schooling into the 21st century, will be flexible to allow for the ever-changing needs of education and address issues for students from kindergarten to year 12.

"The bill also signals a greater emphasis on the partnership necessary between parents and their schools, making clear parents' responsibility in the areas of enrolment and attendance and sets out guidelines for areas recently under discussion, such as sponsorship, dress codes and home schooling."

Mr Barnett said either he, the chairman of the School Education Act Reference Group, Mr Fred Tubby MLA, or the chairman of the Health and Education Coalition Parliamentary Committee, Hon Derrick Tomlinson MLC, would attend each meeting, along with the director of the Education Act project team.

The public meetings schedule is:

- Wednesday July 23              Methodist Ladies College, 7.30 pm

- Thursday July 24                  All Saints' College, 7.30pm

- Monday July 28                    North Albany Senior High School,7.30 pm

- Tuesday July 29                   Narrogin Senior High School,7.30 pm

- Wednesday July 30              Merredin Senior High School,7.30 pm

- Thursday July 31                  Northam Senior High School, 7.30 pm

- Monday August 4                 St Stephen's School Duncraig, 7.30 pm

- Wednesday August 6           Kununurra District High School,7.30 pm

- Tuesday August 12               Eastern Goldfields Senior High School Kalgoorlie, 7.30 pm

- Wednesday August 13         Geraldton Secondary College, 7.30pm

- Thursday August 14             St Luke's College Karratha, 7.30 pm

- Friday August 15                  Hedland Senior High School, 3.00 pm

- Monday August 18               Warnbro Community High School, 7.30 pm

- Tuesday August 19               Kelmscott Senior High School, 7.30 pm

- Wednesday August 20         Swan View Senior High School, 7.30 pm

- Thursday August 21             Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, 7.30 pm.